hee therefore that hath in his nature the seede of all sinnes hath also the seede of it And againe seeing all euill tendes to a perfection as well as grace doth 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 hand of God preuented him who will neither suffer wicked men nor the Diuell himselfe to bee so wicked as they could 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 colours or deceit and fully discouers vnto vs the vglinesse of our natures and it may teach vs all how to think and esteeme of our selues when we heare of Caines vnnaturall murther Pharohs vnnatural crueltie the Sodomits vnnatural lust Achitophles diuilish pollicy Senacheribs horrible blasphemie Iudas monstrous treason Iulians fearefull Apostacie When we heare of the fearefull murders treasons periuties sinnes against nature blasphemies Apostacies witchcrafts and other the horrible sinnes of the world let vs then returne into our selues looke homewards euen into our owne hearts and confesse euery one that these should haue bene euen thy sinnes also if Gods grace had not preuented thee This will humble thee and make thee thinke vilely basely of thy selfe and so consequently bring thee to repentance and true amendment and the very reason why men repent not nor amend their waies 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 harsh and a strange Doctrine to them Oh they haue excellent natures and they cannot indure such and such sinnes and they thanke God they are not as ill as others but let all such men knowe they must cease magnifying nature and 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 euery mans heart is a bottomlesse fountaine of all sinne therefore praise not thy nature but Gods grace and mercy in giuing thee so good a nature or rather so well restraining and rectifying thy nature and stay not there but desire of the Lord that as he hath giuen thee a better tempered nature thē to other men so also he would bestowe on thee his speciall and sauing grace and as he hath kept thee from the feareful sins of others thou being as ill naturally as they so he would also lead thee into the way of saluation which else the best nature in the world can neuer attaine vnto The third rule to be known and practised by him who will truly search himselfe is that euery man borne of Adam is by nature the child of wrath and Gods enimie this is true of all without exception High or Low Rich or poore noble or simple borne in the visible Church or without And further by being enemy of God he is therefore borne subiect to hell to damnation and to all other curses so that looke as a Traytour conuicted stands therby in his Princes high displeasure and is sure of death without speciall pardon so stands euery man when he is borne conuicted of high treason against God in his high disfauour and is in daunger 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 conceined me If in sinne then in Gods wrath and vnder the danger of damnation If any aske how or why this is so I answere the truth as also the equitie of this third rule depends on the two former for because euery man is borne guiltie of Adams great sinne and also tainted originally with all corruption a pronnesse to all sin 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 truth 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 therfore they neede not to sue for it in humiliation and repentance but onely liue ciuily and do no open wrong and all is well whereas alas there is no condemned Traytour more out of his Princes fauour nor more sure of death without a pardon then al we are out of Gods fauour and sure of damnation vnlesse we procure Gods fauour again by faith and repentance For the better opening of this third rule and the manifesting of the truth let vs know further that the curse of God vnder the which we are all borne is three-fould The first is a bondage vnder Sathan It is a certaine truth that euery man as he is borne of his Parents and till hee repent is a slaue of Sathan man or woman high or low Sathan is his Lord and Maister Hee sittes as iudge in his heart and in this sence Sathan is the King of the Nations and God of the world Men will in wordes defie Sathan and not name him without defiance and spitte at him and yet alas hee is in their hearts they spit him out of their mouthes but hee is lower they should also spitte him out of their hearts and that is true defiance indeede for alas hee lodgeth in thy heart and there he makes his Throne and raignes vntill the spirit of regeneration dispossesse him and till then no seruant is so subiect to his maister no slaue to his Lord as is the heart of man by nature vnto Sathan the prince of darknesse Nay our bondage is more fearefull then the slauery of any 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 commaundements are Iniustice whose seruice is sinne and whose hyre is damnation The second part of the Curse is the first death or the death of the body that is a separation of the soule and body a sunder for a time namely till the last iudgement This death is duly and iustly the punishment of any one or the least sinne therefore how due and iust a punishment vpon 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 hel and the downfall to 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 gracious and glorious blessing for it is altered by Christ his death But vnto all men by nature and which repent not it is the heauy curse of Gods wrath and the very downfall into the gulfe of Hell The thirde part of the
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 great winnowing time he then with the winde of his power seuereth them a sunder in soule and body Wheate from the Chaffe sheepe from the Goates separateth them neuer to be mingled againe for euer euer and then with the winde of his wrath he 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 affection The second in soule for a time The third actually in soule and body for euer and euer Now of these three winnowing times the holy Ghost speaketh here properly of the second namely the fan of Gods iudgements so that the meaning of the Metaphor is this search your selues and repent betimes least God come vpon you with some fearefull iudgements because you haue so long contemned the fan of the word and finding you too light to abide the try all doe take you away in the iudgement and cast you into hell for as sure as the fan of the word hath made difference 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 we are the corne heape of God and those Brownisles 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 cōfesse we are ful of chaffe that is of prophane wicked Hypocrits whose hearts and mindes abound in sinnes and rebellions and many of our best professors are also too full of chaffe that is of corruptions and doe giue themselues too much libertie in many sinnes but alas the pure wheate how thinne is it scattered howe hard to finde 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 we haue some pure wheat amongst much chaffe therefore God will winnow vs to find out the corne if hee haue but one corne of wheat in a handfull of chaffe but one good man of many he will stirre all the heape for those fewe cornes hee will not care to blow all the chaffe to hell to finde out those fewe cornes of wheat to lay them vp in heauen so that out of all question England being so ful of chaffe must look to be winnowed Nowe 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 worlde 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 bee sure therefore that God will bring his second Fanne vpon vs because wee will not suffer the first and the milde and gentle fanne of his word to try and search vs therefore hee will bring the fearefull fanne of his iudgements and with it hee will blowe soule body into hell with those our sinnes corruptions which we would not suffer the Fanne of Gods worde to blowe from vs. The first hath so long blowen in vaine that the second must needs come vpon vs it hath already begun to blow three or four blasts haue blown ouer vs famin pestilence earthquakes 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 be able to stand against the next blast for come it wil when it comes no wealth nor worldly thing can inable vs to endure it onely faith repentance the grace of God will stand at that day Now therefore in that so feareful a fanning abideth vs seeing it is so neer as appeareth by the blasts already past ouer vs which are nothing but the forerunners of a greater tēpest what shuld be our care except wee care not to be blown body soule into hel but to labour to efchew this feareful fan of Gods wrath or at least if it come vpō vs that it may not blow vs to hell but hasten vs to heauen It thy heart be touched to aske how this may be I answere thee onely 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 and to escape Gods iudgement to be a iudge to thine owne soule and so the way to escape the fearfull fanne of God is to fanne thine own heart by the law of God For whomsoeuer the first fanne that is the word of God doth worke vpon these men are neuer blowen away with the fanne of Gods iudgements O then entertaine the word of God into thy heart submit thy soule vnto it let it pearce try and ransacke thy heart and lay before thee thy wretched estate by thy sinnes and when thou seest thynakednesse and misery confesse it bewayle it be humbled for it cry call for mercy and forgiuenesse pray against thy speciall sinnes striue to purge them out as the poyson of thy soule craue grace from God against al thy sinnes and if thou seest any sins more welcome to thy nature more deere vnto thee and which more prevaile against thee then others doe pray against these sinnes and striue against them aboue all and endeuour that by the fanne of Gods word they may bee blowen away from thee When thou hast done this then marke what will come of it when thou hast fanned thy selfe God will not fanne thee but when the fanne of his iudgemēt comes and bloweth so strongly vpon the wicked then the Lord finding thee already 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 Sodom or else shall fanne out all thy corruptions and blow thee vp to heauen to be laid vp as pure wheat in the heauenly garners and mansions of glory which Christ ascended to prepare for thee Now then amongst those many businesses with which this world doth comber euery one of vs all which shall perish with the worlde it selfe let vs good brethren spare some time 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 bee 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 tryall let the ten Commaundements passe vpon them and thy sins and corruptiōs which thou findest to be chaffe blow them away by repētance so shalt thou remaine pure and cleane wheate fit for the house and Church of God in this world for his kingdome in heauen But if we will not doe this then alas what wil follow my heart grieueth to vtter it but I must vnlesse I should be a false prophet And therefore I wil. Our long peace plentie and ease haue bred great sinnes so great that they reach to heauen and prouoke Gods Maiestie to his face and so strong that they will violently drawe downe iudgments from God vpon vs which when they come they will bee so powerfull and so violent that they will blow vs away like chaffe and bring this kingdome to some miserable ruine O therefore how happy are wee if we can entertaine this Doctrine and practise it for in so doing we shall preuent Gods iudgements wee 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 how to continue Gods fauour and the Gospell to this Nation If thou goe away with this lesson thou hast a Iewel more worth then if thou shouldest goe home possessed or 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 maist say that this was the fairest day in deede that euer shon vpon thee since thou wast borne This pretious Iewell which I haue spoken of all this while I heare offer vnto thee Euery one brings hither some-thing to bee solde this is the merchandize 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 deare 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 Happie is that day when thou comming so farre to buy things for thy bodie and paies so deare for them doest meete with so pretious a Iewell the vertue whereof is to saue thy soule and payest nothing for it Thou maiest 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 maintaine 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 we might assure our selues of the glorious prosperity of England to cotinue from generatiō to generation whereas alas if we continue go forward in our sins impenitency it is greatly to bee feared that neither the Gospell nor this peace will reach to our posterities Therefore now to make an end I once againe lastly cōmend this doctrine to you al euery one of you for this marchandise that I bring is of that nature that though some take it yet there is also enough 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 and 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 thinke of it therefore seriously as a matter that concernes thy soule and bodie yea and thy posteritie and this whole Realme all which shall smart for it if we repent not And if the body of our people and those whose harts are wedded to this world wil not enterteine this doctrine then I turne vnto you that feare the Lord and to you I direct my last warning Search O search and try your hearts and liues renewe and reuiue your faith and repentance that if iudgements doe come and blowe vpon this Nation and driue the Gospell from it and it to hell that yet you may haue a testimony to your consciences that you did not pull down this generall calamitie but for your parts laboured to haue preuented it by your earnest prayers and heartie repentance that so the posteritie ensuing may not curse you but speake reuerently of you and praise God for you and wish that al had done as you did for then had they enioyed this goodly land and al Gods blessings with it as wee their forefathers did before them so shall our names not rot but flourish amongst the posterities to come which shall bee 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 vppon it and continue vnto it this place 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 look for hurli-burlies he can continue the gospell when they hope to set vp their Idolatry againe let vs therefore apply the Lord with our praiers and with Moses set our selues in the breach and pray for the ignorances of the multitude and bewaile their sinnes who bewaile not their owne So did Noah Daniel and Iob in their ages and prayed for the people in generall calamities Let vs all be Noahs Daniels and Iobs in our generations if we 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 nowe turne to the Lorde in prayer and because it cannot be hoped but that this our generall sinfulnesse must needs end with some heauy Iudgment let vs desire the Lord still to defer our deserued punishments and still to spare vs and to giue vs time and leasure to repent that so we entering into our selues
of all sinne makes a man bold in Gods presence and rather desirous then afraid to behold Gods glory which shall bee most apparant at the last day for when the wicked shal desire rather to be couered with the hilles and ground to dust by the mountaines then to appeare before the face of God then shal the godly whose holinesse shal then bee perfect looke vp and lift vp their heads because their redemption is so nigh And Iob testifieth of himselfe that hee knoweth his redeemer liueth and that hee shall stand before him looke vpon him with his eyes Thus as guiltinesse driues a man from the kings presence but innocency makes him bold before him So sinfulnesse makes a man auoid Gods presence but holinesse makes him drawe neare vnto God and to reioyce in his presence Then for a conclusion of this point let all men heare learne the way to true courage and boldnesse before GOD namely to repent dayly of their sinnes and labour to growe in true holinesse wealth nor wit learning nor authoritie can do this for thee but onely a good conscience which must bee made good by grace and by repentance then shalt thou reioice in Gods presēce in this world and delight to thinke of God to speake of God to pray vnto him to meete him in his word and sacraments and at the last day shalt thou stand with confidence before the throne of his glory Hitherto of the feare and astonishment of the Prophet and of the causes thereof Now followeth his consolation Then flewe one of the Seraphims c. In these two verses is laid downe the second generall point namely the consolation of the Prophet concerning which there are two points in the text 1. the ground and matter of his consolation that is the forgiuenesse of his sinnes 2 Diuers circumstances of that consolation 1 The time Then 2 The minister by whom it was done an Angell one of the Seraphims 3 The manner how he did it speedily He flewe 4 The instrument or outward signe a Coale from the altar 5 The outward action or application of it He touched his lippes The matter of the consolation is last in order Let vs therefore first speake of the Circumstances The first circumstance is the time when this Prophet was comforted and raised frō his feare Then saith the text that is after his feare and astonishment but not afore Thus dealt God alwaies with all his Saints he bestoweth no graces on thē pertaining to saluation but after he hath by some meanes or other brought thē to true humiliation in themselues and to sorrow for their sinnes Humiliation is the preparatiue for grace for when by sight and sense of their sinnes and their owne misery by sinne he hath euen driuen them quite out of themselues finding nothing in themselues but cause of feare and astonishment then powres hee the oyle of grace and of sweete comfort into their hearts refresheth their weary soules with the deawe of his mercy this point needes no further proofe for looke into the Scriptures we shal finde God neuer called any man to the state of grace or to any notable worke or function in his Church but hee first humbled them and then brought them out of al conceit with themselues and then wrought in them and by them his wonderfull workes The vse of this doctrine is first of all to teach all men to esteeme aright of the afflictions that God layeth vpon them in this world commonly men take them impatiently our nature grudgrudgeth against them but let a Christian man consider with himselfe how God hath alwaies dealt with his children and he hath cause not to thinke so for doth God lay some great affliction on thee it may be he hath some mighty worke of his grace to worke in thee or som great work of mercie to bewroght by thee in his church and hereby prepareth thee for the same Say therefore with the holy Prophet I helde my tongue ô Lord and spake nothing because it was thy doing and what God may intend in his so doing to thee thou canst not tell and therefore in silence and patience possesse thy soule Againe here is a comfort to all such as are distressed in mind in sense of their finnes and sight of Gods wrath their state is not miserable much lesse desperate for they are in the high way to grace and fauour God iustifieth not but him that repents God exalts not but him that is humbled God comforts not but him that is distressed God hath mercie on none but such as both knowne and feele they want it and knowe also that they knowe not where to haue it but at his hands Happie therefore is that soule that feeles the waight and burden of sin for to him wil Christ bring most ease and comfort Gods Ministers therefore are hereby to comfort distressed consciences to assure them that if with this Prophet they bee so deepely touched with sight of their sins and Gods iustice as that they cry Woe is me I am vndone Then euē Then are they most capable of comfort and best prepared to receiue it as here it sell out to the holy Prophet Thirdly here is the way taught vs how to attaine to any excellēt graces of God either for our own saluation or the good of the Church namely to labour for a sencible feeling of the want of them in our selues for God vseth to bestowe no gifts on any man but such as do in humilitie low-linesse confesse to God acknowledge in themselues the want of them So the blessed Virgin singeth God filleth the hungry with good things but the rich hee sendes emptie away And so the Psalmist God satisfieth the hungry soule and filleth the emptie soule with goodnesse So then if thou be rich in thy conceits God hath not for thee but if thou be hungry he is readie to fill thee with good things and dost thou acknowledge thy soule emptie then behold treasures of goodnesse to feede and fill thee and art thou cast downe with the Prophet and is thy soule emptie of hope and fraught with feare then behold euen then God and his Angels ready to raise thee vp to fill thee with consolation Thus much for the time of his consolation the minister by whom was One of the Seraphims The 2. circumstance of his consolation is the Minister by whom it was done An angel One of the Seraphims that is an Angell of that order so called out of which we learne First that there are diuers degrees and seuerall orders of Angels though wee knowe not the true distinction thereof nor thinke it lawful to imagine them to be 9. nor to set them down particularly as the Church of Rome doth who make many of their owne deuises which they cal traditiōs of equal authority with the scriptures Secondly that these holy Angels are the glorious
the world to loue God and to beleeue in Christ and for sake sinne it is therefore manifest that they haue not yet begun to beleeue or repent nor haue entred 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 Search narrowly as a man would doe for a piece of gold or a pâ—cious Iewell which is lost in a great house Or as a man may search for gold in a Myne of the earth where is much earth and but very little gold Oare Hence wee may learne that in true Repentance and conuersion we must not search so only as to find the grosse and palpable sinnes of our liues but so as we may finde those sinnes which the world accounts lesser sinnes and espie our secret faults priuy corruptions Some corruptions see memore neere a kinne to our nature and therein men hope to be excused when they forsake many other greater sins But a true penitent sinner must search for such so as a good Magistrate searcheth for a lurking 〈…〉 which is 〈◊〉 into some close and secret corner and he must ranfack his heart for such corruptions as wherein his heart takes special delight and must thanke that no sinne can be so small but it is too great to be spared and that euery sinne great or litle must be searched for as being all Tray 〈◊〉 to Gods Maiestie But alas the practise â—â— the world is farre otherwise great sinnes are little sinnes little sinnes are no sinnes Nay after a little custome great sinnes are also little or nothing and so at last men make no bones of grosse and grieuous sins and for the most part men search so superficially that they scarse finde any thing to be sinne such excuses are made such distinctioÌ„s are deuised such mittigations such qualifications such colours are cast vppon all sinnes as now vp and downe the world grosse sins are called into question whether they be sins or no and the great transgressions of the lawe are counted small matters necessarie euils or inconueniences tollerated to auoyd other euils and what is he counted but a curious and a precise foole which stands vpon them Ignorance after fiue and thirtie yeares preaching is counted no sinne blind deuotion in Gods seruice no sin lippe labour in praying vaine and customable swearing mocking of religion and the professors thereof no sin prophaning of the Saboath contemning of preachers abusing of parents no sinnes pride in apparel superfluitie in meates beastly and ordinarie drunkennes fornication no sinnes Nay decites Cosonages oppressing vsury notorious briberie and couetousnes 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 vernish must be cast vpon theÌ„ as that they are little or none at all Alas alas is not that a simple a silly search where such blockes as these are lye vnspied what are moulehils when such mountaines are not seene Moates will be little regarded where such beames are not discerned but it is cleare that therefore there is no true trial nor diligent search made for a true conuert will search his heart for all and wil spare none He deales in searching his owne heart as a good Iustice of peace in searching for traytors or Seminarie Priests He seekes not superficially but most exactly and leaueth neuer a corner vnsought and he thinkes great sinnes to be infinite and little sinnes great and iudgeth no sinne so small but that it deserueth the anger of God therefore he wonders at the mercy of God which throwes vs not al downe to hel in a moment he crieth out with holy Ieremie It is the Lords mercie that we are not consumed Away then with this superficial hypocritical search where so many sinnes are spared and not found out It is Pharisaical for euen so the Pharisie when hee came into the Temple to recken with God and to tell what Traytours hee had found that is what sinnes vpon good search hee had espied he returnes his precept all is well he hath found neuer a one but beginnes to thanke God that he was so good and so good and not so il and so il nor yet like the Publicane The world is full of Pharisies not onely the popish Church but euen our Church swarms with these superficial searchers who cannot because they will not finde any sinnes to present vnto God Men thinke in the Countrie a Church Officer hazards his Oath if he present all well and findeth no fault in his Parish to present as punishable to the Ordinary for men thinke it vnpossible that there should bee none in a whole parish then how doth that man hazard his own soule who being made ouerseer searcher of his heart findes nothing in it to present to the Lord. For it is not more easie to espie outward actual traÌ„sgessions in a whole parish then it is to finde a heape of corruptions in a mans heart if a man will search into the bottome of it with the light of Gods Law Therefore when the Lord comes and keepes his visitation what shal become of such a man but to vndergoe the strict and seuere search of the Almightie because hee would not search himselfe Our bodyes and liues are free from spanish Inquisition which is one of the last props which Sathan hath lent the Pope wherewith to vphold his declining kingdom 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 hearts and vnmortified affections euen to erect an Inquisition ouer them to lay in waite for them to search them narrowly and to vse them roughly yea to set our hearts vpon the rack of Gods law that so it may confesse the secret wickednesse of it for the Papistes doe not thinke vs Protestants greater enemies to their superstition then the inward corruptions of our hearts are to our saluation therefore it may bee a godly pollicie for euery man curn to erect an Inquisition ouer his owne heart and conscience and not to spare his most secret and dearest sinnes and such as are neerest allyed to his owne nature for that is the true search here commaunded by the Prophet and practised by all Godly and holy men when a man purposeth to finde al that are to espie eueÌ„ al his sins for a godly man is neuer satisfied in his search but still the more he findes he suspects the more are stil behind and therefore hee continueth searching his owne heart all his life long Therefore let euery professor looke to it betwixt God and his conscience that he dally not with himselfe in ths case for if he doe then
must therefore know that his sinne in eating the forbidden fruite was thy sinne and thou sinnedst therein as well as he though thou wast then vnborne and that thou art guiltie of it before God and must answere for it to Gods iustice vnlesse Christ doe it for thee The reason hereof is because we are his seede posteritie we were thē in his loynes he was the father of vs all and was not a priuate mā as we are now but a publike person the pledge of al mankind and bare the person of vs all at that time therefore what he did then hee did it for himself for vs what couenant God made with him was made for himselfe and vs what God promised him and he to God he promised for himselfe for vs what he receiued in his Creation he receiued for himselfe and for vs and what he gained or lost by his fall he gained and lost for vs as for himselfe He 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 he gained he got for vs all as well as for himselfe If we doubt of this point it is proued by the Apostle where the holy Ghost saith Sin 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 originall corruption but guiltie also of Adams sinne This is a most certaine truth though it seeme strange for fewe men thinke of it that euer they shall answer for Adams sinne and therefore if any obiect what reason is there that I answere for another mans sinne I answere true if it had bene Adams sinne alone but it was his and thine also for hee was thy father and stoode in thy roome and thou also since thou wast borne hast confirmed what hee did Now therefore though not one of many thinkes seriously thereof namely that he should stand guilty of a sin committed more then fiue thousand yeares before he was born yet seeing it is most true both in Scripture and good reason let euery man subscribe in his conscience to this truth And let this be thy first resolution in this Search that thou standest guilty of Adams transgression The second rule to bee knowne is that in euery man are all sinnes more plainly that in euery man by nature are the seedes of all sinnes and that not in the worst but in the best natured men make choyse of the best man and the greatest sinne and that worst sinne is to be found in that best man If any doubt 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 and wholy This corruption hath two parts First a want not of some but of all good inclination a want of all goodnesse Secondly a deprauation pronenesse not to some but to all euill and not a pronenesse onely but originall sin infuseth into euery mans heart the seed of all corruption Many men 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 seeds of all sins in the world are in him by nature But to explaine this point fully obserue these two 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 wholesome lawes sometime the constitution of mens bodies deny the practise of some sinnes sometime the Countrey a man dwels in or calling a man liues in keepes him from the practise of some sinnes and alwayes a generall and limitting grace of God restraines the natures of all men from running into many sinnes which hand of God if God should take away and leaue euery man to his nature wee should see that euerie man would practise any 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 he seeth that his heart is a sea of all wickednesse that it is the mercy and grace of God that hee hath not fallen into the mightiest most monstrous sinnes in the world Secondly I say by nature For I know by good education by grace it is otherwise grace rectifieth nature but that is no thankes to nature for it is as euill and corrupt still being seuered from grace and therefore nature must be fully 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 be alike corrupt for the course of nature is restrained in some more then others by the meanes aforesaid but this is the truth that whereas some are not so angry some not so wanton some not so cruel some not so couetous som not so ambitious c. as others that comes not from any goodnesse of nature in them aboue the other originally but from Gods hand which tempereth restraineth and moderateth euery mans nature as he seeth good And if God did not thus moderate restraine the natures of men but suffer them to breake out to the full there would then be no order but all confusion in the world therefore as especially for his Churches quietnesse so also for the preseruatiō of publike peace and the vpholding of societie in the world betweene man and man the Lord holdes a hand ouer euery mans nature and keepes euery one in a certaine compasse limitted by the wisdom of his power which restraining hand of his if the Lord should take away all societies and common wealths would be turned vpside downe because euery 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 especially of the best and holiest men of whom I would aske this question whether they find not in their natures an inclination euen to the foulest sinnes in the world if shame or feare or else the grace of God restrained them not so that the best men doe knowe well enough what adoe they haue with their corrupt natures to keepe them within the compasse of Obedience Nay I yet adde further the nature of men and of all men is so corrupt since Adam that euen the seede of the sinne against the holy Ghost and a pronenesse to it is in the nature of euery man though not one man amongst many thousandes doe commit that sinne for seeing in that sinne there is a heape or Sea of all sinnes gathered together
beloued of their God requite this his loue which they had no more deserued then any other Nation Certainly 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 proued a most stubborne and stifnecked people a froward generation Moses partly sawe this in his owne experience better discerned it in the spirit of Prophesie and therefore wondering at this their wickednes he cryed out Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people vnwise thus that is with sin disobedience which is the only 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 bee beloued namely for their vnthankefulnes and vnkindnes which was such as they not only were slacke and carelesse in performance of such duties as God required but euen multiplyed their sinnes committed those foule 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 bee beloued Couetousnesse Crueltie and Deceite all which were the more hainous and intollerable because they were the sins of their Princes their Rulers and their priests who should haue beene lights and examples to the rest Now although euery sin 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 vpon a little cause but for wonderfull exceeding vnthankfulnesse vnkindnesse in them who of all other should haue loued the Lord. As a man cares not for hard vsage from him whome hee esteemes not but a little vnkindnesse doth greatly greiue a man from him who is loued and respected so is it with the Lord our God he loued not the Gentiles as hee did the Iewes neither was hee so bountifull vnto them and therefore as we may see though they liued alwayes in ignorance and continued alwayes in disobedience yet the Text saith the time of that ignorance God regarded not but when as the Iewes his owne people whome he chose out of all people bestowed his loue vpon them and made his Couenant of grace with thē when they became vnkinde vnthankfull forgetfull stubborne and rebellious that caused the Lord euen to complaine of the indignitie and to cry out by Moses Doe yee thus requite the Lord O foolish people vnwise And hereby the Prophet O nation not worthy to be beloued therfore ther is no man but if he be asked what he thinkes of this Nation of the Iewes he will answere that they are a most vile wicked people a froward generation and that they are worthy to taste deepely of all Gods plagues who so farre abused his loue and mercie But what doth this belong to them alone and is Israel onely a Nation not worthy to be 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 we haue beene as vnkinde a people to him as they were to him But that I may bee free from discrediting our nation and from defiling my owne Nest let vs prooue both these points and lay them open to the view of the world 1 First therefore the same mercies and farre greater haue beene powred heaped vpon vs hee hath called vs out of the darknesse First of Heathenisme then of Poperie 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 wee inioy not in secret or by stealth but wee haue it countenanced by authoritie so that religion is not barely allowed but euen as it were thrust vpon men Besides al this wee haue a land also that floweth with milke hony it is plentifull in all good things we haue libertie peace vnder a peaceable prince and the companions of peace prosperitie plentie health wealth corne Woole gold siluer abundance 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 Lorde certainely euen with a greater measure of vnkindnesse that is with more and greater sinnes then euer Israell 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 Israell for three sins then may it bee saide of England for 300 sinnes O England a Nation not worthie to bee beloued for thou hast multiplyed thy transgressions aboue theirs of Israell euen as though thou haddest resolued with thy selfe the more Gods kindnesse is heaped on thee the more to multiply thy sinnes against him For thou England as thou hast requited the Lord with sinnes so not with a few sinnes or small sinnes or sinnes which hardly coulde haue bene preuented for that had bene a matter of some excuse or not of so great complaint But thy sinnes 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 we ought malitiously to requite him If any man make doubt of this and therefore thinke I speake too hardly of our Church I will then deale plainly and particularly and rip vp the sores of our nation that so they may bee healed to the bottome The common sins of England wherwith 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 meanes but wilfull and affected ignorance Men are ignorant euen because they will bee ignorant Meanes of knowledge were neuer so plentifull and yet neuer more grosse ignorance is not hee wilfully blinde who will not open his eyes in the Light and can there bee any darknesse at Noone day but it must bee wilfull but our Nation is darke and blinde in the Sunshine of the Gospell and grossely ignorant when the Gospell beates their eares and light shines round about them so as if they closed not their eyes and stopped not their eares they could not but both heare see who would looke for ignorance after 35 yeares preaching yet many are as ignorant as if they had bin borne brought vp vnder Poperie so that
beter cause may it be said 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 most beautifull Church a glorious Nation a Nation to bee admired and wondred at but looke at the liues of our ordinarie professors looke at our sinnes and at our requiting of Gods loue and we are a people of Sodome as full of iniquities as they were whose sinnes are so many so rife and so ripe that at the last they wil euē bring down fire brimstone or some other strange iudgement vpon vs if repentance doe not preuent it or the cries and prayers of holy men stay not Gods hands So then let vs all here assembled grant confesse that we are a Nation so farre from being worthy to bee beloued as that we are most worthy to be hated to haue all the wrath of God powred vpon vs. Now then are we 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 duty enter into our selues Search our hearts and liues that they may lye open to our owne sight to the confusion of vs in our selues that in God by repentance wee may bee raised vp Our sinnes lye open before the face of God and stincke in his presence and and cry for vengeance and before the face of Gods Angels who bewaile it and before the face of the Diuell who reioyceth in our confusions and shall they lye hid onely to our selues Now then if wee would haue them hidde from God and stoppe the cry that they make against vs and keepe them from Sathan who accuseth vs for them wee must so Search our selues that they may lye open to our owne hearts remember thou thy sinnes and God will forget them lay them open before thy owne face and God will hide them from his write them vp for thy owne selfe and God will blot them out of his remembrance but if contrariwise thou hidest them then assure thy selfe the more thou hidest and 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 thy eternall confusion Therefore againe and againe I exhort you in the name of GOD Search your selues finde out your sinnes confesse them to GOD freely and ingeniously confesse their desert to bee Hell and damnation humble your hearts to God cry and call for pardon as for life and death purpose and promise to leaue them begin a new course of life beleeue stedfastly and doubt not 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 and quench that great action of vnkindnes which God hath against them and become a Nation as worthy vpon their faith and repentance in Christ to be beloued as for their peace and prosperitie they haue bene of all nations of the earth admired Hitherto of the third generall point 4 The fourth generall point in this exhortation is the time limitted them when they should Search Before the Decree come forth c. As though the Prophet should say Israell repent before God execute his iudgements on thee For behold the gratious dealing of God Man sinneth his sinnes deserue plagues but GOD presently plagueth not but deferres it he puts a time betwixt the sinne and the punishment ordinarily this he doth to shew his mercie to mankinde because that hee would not destroy them if they would amende Therefore after the sinne he smites not presently but puttes of his punishment that in the meane time man may Repent Here the Prophet compares the Lord to a mother for as she conceiues the fruite in her wombe and beares it a long time ere she bring it out so the Lord after a mans sinnes or a peoples sinnes conceiue that is ordaines and decreeth a iudgement for it but he keepes it vp and all that while he heares it But as she when her time is come then trauailes and bringes forth so when the time that God hath appointed is come and stil sinne is not repented of then his iustice trauailes to be deliuered of that iudgemēt which mercy hath kept vp so long a time Thus the old world had an hundred twentie yeares giuen them for time of repentance all that while God was in conceiuing at last when there 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 many hundred yeares he gaue vnto the Iewes long hee was in conceiuing their destruction and oftentimes hee had it at the bringing forth as in the captiuitie of Babylon and vnder Antiochus yet his mercy stayed it and still hee trauailled longer telles them here by the Prophet that yet the Decree is not come forth though it bee conceiued but at last when Israell would not Repent but grewe worse and worse as in Christ his time then hee could containe no longer but trauelled indeede and though it bee with griefe yet hee hath brought foorth and what a most fearefull byrth euen an vtter disolation of that kingdome and Countrey of their Citie and Temple and a dispertion of their 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 bringes forth his iudgements yet it is with griefe and vnwillingnesse and hee is loath as it were and much agrieued to execute his most iust iudgements on those who haue professed his name hee often touched the Iewes a little and as being vnwilling to smite them hee drue backe his hande againe but at last when their sinnes did so increase and were so strong that they euen did wring out by violence his plagues from him then with much bewayling of their great misery as wee may see in Christ weeping for them hee executes his iudgements on them But as they are long a comming so when they come forth they were the heauier as a child the more fulnesse of time it hath is the greater the liuelier and the stronger so Gods iudgements the longer God deferreth them and is in conceiuing them the heauier are they when they come that is manifest in the Iewes once his owne people for he hath destroyed their land with an irrecouerable destruction and smitten their posteritie with a blindnes of minde til this houre so that to this day when the old Testament is read the vaile is ouer their eies that they cannot see the light of Christ Iesus but plodde on in fearefull and palpable blindnesse This Doctrine hath speciall vse to this our Church to teach vs to looke to our selues betimes
Ministers let this suffice them they are the men that must declare vnto man his righteousnesse euen he that scornes and contemnes the ministerie hee hath no righteousnesse in him vnlesse it bee by the meanes of a poore Minister then doe thou thy duty and bee that mockes thee hath cause to honour thee And let this encourage Students to consecrate themselues to the ministery for what calling hath so high an office as this to declare vnto man his righteousnesse And assuredly how euer in this wicked world thou art little accounted of for if it did not so it were not wicked yet thou art honoured in the harts of all Gods children and euen in the conscience of some whose tongues doe smite thee and the soules of thousands when they dye shal blesse thee who in their liues cared not for thee and the diuell himselfe doth enuy the holy Angels themselues doe wonder at the excellency of thy calling in that thou hast power to declare vnto men his righteousnesse In the next place hearers may heere learne first if their righteousnesse bee thus to bee declared as afore then if they will haue it they must seeke it as it may bee found namely both in the lawe and in the Gospell and not in the Gospell alone and first in the lawe then in the Gospell for he must neuer looke to taste the sweetnes of the Gospell which hath not first swallowed the bitter pilles of the law if therefore thou wouldest be declared righteous by the Gospell bee content first to bee pronounced miserable by the lawe if thou wouldst be declared righteous in Christ then bee content first to bee pronounced sinfull and vnrighteous in thy selfe Secondly all men may heere learne how they are to esteeme of Gods Ministers and what reuerence and obedience is due to their persons and their doctrine these are they which must declare vnto thee thy righteousnesse if thou hast any Art thou beholden to him who when thou hast lost a Iewell which was all thy wealth can tell thee where it is and helpe thee to it againe or to him who when thy cause is in triall at the barre will pleade it for thee or to him who when thy health is lost can tell thee how to get it againe then beholde how thou art beholden to a godly Minister who when Adam had lost both himselfe and thee that Iewell of righteousnesse which was and is the whole wealth of thy soule can truly tell thee where it is and howe it is to bee had againe and who when the diuell haleth thee to the barre of Gods iustice to receiue triall for thy sinnes can drawe thee there such a declaration as the diuell himselfe shall not bee able to answere and who when thy soule is sicke to death and euen to damnation can heale the deadly wounds thereof A good minister therefore is worthy as the Apostle saith of double honour whose dutie wee see is to declare vnto man his righteousnesse And to conclude this point also the consideration of the height of this office of a minister may encourage fathers to dedicate their sonnes to this holy calling for the Physitians care for the body or the Lawyers for thy cause are both inferiour duties to this of the Mininister A good Lawyer may be one of tenne a good Physitian one of 20. a good man one of 100. but a good minister is one of 1000. A good Lawyer may declare the true state of thy cause a good Physitian may declare the true state of thy body No calling no man can declare vnto thee thy righteousnesse but a true Minister And thus we see the office or function of a minister Now followeth the blessing Then will he haue mercy vpon him The fourth generall part of this description is the blessing which God giueth to the labours and function of a true Minister then that is when a man by the preaching of the lawe is brought to true humiliation and repentance and by the preaching of the Gospell to true faith in the Messias then will he that is God haue mercy on him that is on the penitent and beleeuing sinner Behold heere the admirable simpathy and the cooperation of God and the Ministers office Man preacheth and God blesseth Man worketh on the heart and God giues grace a minister declares vnto man his righteousnesse and God saith so be it he shall be righteous a minister pronounceth mercy to a penitent sinner and forthwith God hath mercy on him Heere wee see the great and glorious account which God makes of the worde of his ministers by them truly taught and rightly applyed namely that he as it were tyeth his blessing vnto it for ordinarily till a man knowe his righteousnesse by the meanes of an Interpreter God hath not mercy on him but as soone as he doth knowe it then as we see here God wil haue mercy on him and will say deliuer him c. This is no small honour to ministers and to their Ministerie that God himselfe giues a blessing vnto it worketh when they work and as it were staieth wayting when they declare vnto a man his righteousnesse and then hath he mercy on him so powerfull and so effectuall is the worde spoken by a minister of God This is that which Christ auoucheth Whatsoeuer you loose in earth shall be loosed in heauen Will you knowe the meaning hereof Reade Saint Iohn whose sinnes soeuer you remit they are remitted whose you retaine they are retained will you haue the meaning of both read Esay God destroyeth the tokens of Soothsayers and makes Wisards and Astrologers fooles turneth worldly wisemen backward and makes their knowledge foolishnesse but hee confirmeth the word of his seruants and performeth the counsel of his messengers Thus God bindeth and looseth with them remitteth and retaineth with them by confirming their word and performing their counsell For example A true minister seeth a sinner hardned in his sins still rebelling against the will of God he therfore declareth vnto him his vnrighteousnes his sin denounceth vnto him the misery curses of Gods iustice as due vnto him for the same here he binds on earth here he retains on earth this mans sins are likewise bound retained in heauen On the other side hee seeth a man penitēt belieuing he pronounceth forgiuenes of sins happines vnto him for the same he looseth him from the band of his sins by declaring vnto him his righteousnes this mans sins are likewise loosed remitted in heauen God himselfe doth pronounce him cleare in heauen when the Minister doth on earth Thus God confirmeth the word of his seruants and performeth the counsell of his messengers The vse of this doctrine is first for rulers and great men of this worlde this may teach them to be nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers vnto the Church whose authority they see is so great ouer them
apply their Doctrine to their audience in such manner as the circumstances of place times or persons do require some Ministers come to an ignorant and vnhumbled people and teach them the Gospell which neuer knewe the lawe here the firy coale is vsed but the lips are not touched that is good doctrine taught but not well applyed for that the lawe should first be laid to their consciences others beate all vpon the Lawe when it may be their hearers are a people sufficiently cast downe and haue more need to be raised vp with the sweet comforts of the Gospell others vse to laye open the nakednes of the Court in the country and to reproue the faults of Princes and great magistrates before the coÌ„mon people who haue more need of the Catechisme others bring the Catechisme or points of ordinarie instruction into the Court where the duties of Kings and councellors should be taught in all plainnesse and sinceritie others bring their new opinions or controuersall points vnto popular audiences which indeede are fit for the schools other busie themselues about ceremonies when the substance is in daunger to be lost All these haue it may be the Coale of fire but it is misapplyed and not applyed to the polluted lips Let all ministers therefore learne this point of wisdome of the Angell to apply the medicines of their doctrine to the times persons and places which are infected so shal they be sure not to take paines in vaine And thus much of the circumstances of his consolation It followeth in the text Loe thy iniquitie shall be taken away and thy sinnes shall be purged After the Circumstances followeth the ground and matter of his consolation and that is the forgiuenesse of his sinnes where first let vs marke how it and the instrument are annexed together Loe saith the Angel this Coale haâ—h touched tay lippes and thy Iniquities shall bee forgiuen and thy sinnes purged as though hee had bene clensed by the Coale where we may note how greatly God magnifieth the meanes which himself ordaineth euen true remission and saluation to the right and holy vsing of them though it come not from them but from his own mercy and power of his ordinance It is therefore no maruell though God sanctifieth the childe by the Ministery of water in Baptisme and feede our soules in the Lords Supper by feeding our bodies with bread and wine and no maruell though the carelesse neglect of either of them be damnation to him that despiseth them seeing they are Gods instruments ordained by him to conuey his grace vnto vs And yet for all this wee are to knowe that remission or saluation is no more tyed to the very elements or the actions then here the Prophets forgiuenesse is to the Coale of fire But the maine point is that for the Prophets consolation the Angell tells him his iniquities shall bee taken away and his sinnes purged as thereby he had said thy sins were the cause of thy feare therefore that thy feare may be taken away thy sinnes shall be forgiuen Where we learne that as few comes by sinne so all true comfort comes from the forgiuenesse of sinnes this is that that onely pacifieth the conscience and satisfieth the soule when Dauid had sinned against the Lord in his two great sinnes and thereby prouoked Gods wrath against him and wounded his owne conscience if the Prophet had told him hee had made him King of 10 kingdomes more he had not so reioyced his heart as when he told him after his repentance thy sinnes are forgiuen thee thou shalt not dye So when this Prophet was extreamely affrighted at Gods preseÌ„ce because of some sinnes and negligences in his calling it had bene no comfort to his poore soule to haue bene told thou shalt haue a more eloquent tongue and a more powerful speech thou shalt haue better accesse to the Court audience before the King all these and all such like would haue beene no better then guided poyson vnto him being in this case but the happy answere that refresheth his wearie soule more then all the world was this Loe thy iniquities are forgiuen and thy sinnes purged All faithfull Ministers must heere learne the true way of comforting troubled and distressed conscieÌ„ces namely first to drawe him vnto a sight of some particular sinnes then to summon him into Gods presence and there to arraigne him for those sinnes vntill the view of the foulnesse of his sinnes and the glory of Gods iustice haue sufficiently humbled him and then to labour to perswade his conscience vppon good groundes of the pardon of those sinnes by Christ Iesus this is the way that God vsed and deuised this is the sure way that cannot faile Some thinke that all trouble of mind is nothing but melancholy and therefore thinke nothing needes but Physicke and outward comforts but he that considers in what case the Prophet heere was or Dauid when hee made the 6. the 32. or the 51. Psalmes will be of another mind and will finde that nothing can properly trouble the mind but sinne therefore as the wise Physitian in his cure first searcheth out the cause and then endeuours to take it away so the good Physitian of the soule must first of all search into the cause of his sicknesse that is his sins and must take them away which if they doe not then al their labour is lost for al the companie musicke recreation wine diet nay all worldly comforts delights if it were the aduancement to a kingdom cannot so much comfort the distressed soule of a sinner as this voice of a minister spoken from God vpon good grounds Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee Now to lay downe what bee those true and good groundes whereupon a Minister may safely and comfortably pronounce pardon of sins to a sinner belongs properly to another place In the next place Let vs heere obserue how the Lord afore he renued the Prophets commission or send him to preach to the people first humbles him for his sinnes and then vppon his repentance giues him pardon teaching vs that no Minister is well qualified to the holy duties of the Ministerie vnlesse hee haue truly repented of his sins and haue obtained pardon and mercie in the Messias Ministers labour for qualifications but the true Minister of God will labour for this qualification aboue all other for doubtlesse hee shall pronounce most powerfully the pardon of sinnes to others to whose conscience God hath pronounced pardon of his owne In the last place let vs obserue how the Prophet being to be comforted before hee goe this newe embassage the Lord is so carefull for him that rather then he be not comforted if there be no man to do it An Angel shal be seÌ„t to be his comforter if ther be not another Prophet to doe it An Angell shall pronounce vnto him the pardon of his sins Let this be an