Chap. Zr. oven expoftion upon the Bookof J o s. Verf. 128. 72a gine, As thif$le-downe, or, the down of the thißle; when the thiftle fheds its downe we fee haw it rolls before the winde. Now, faith he, as the chaffe before the wnide, or as a rolling thingbdore the whirlwinde, fo (hall theNations be. The day ofvengeance that COMICS upon hardned and impenitent finnera hall make them like chaffe, (Zephan. 2. i,.z J gather your felves together, yea gather together O nation not deli red, before the decree bringforth., before the day paffe as the chafe. Gather your[elves together. Some read, fanyour fehter, inallufion to . thecffe, fan or winnow your (elves, get out all thechaffe from your felves, by a work Of ferious repentance, then vm winnow, or fan our felves. Why doch the Prophet'firre them up to this duty ? elfe (faith he) the decree will bring forth, that is, God having decreed judgement, thedecreewill bringforth judgement. The decree is big, it bath judgement in it, and it will bring forth fhortly 3.there will come a forme, a tempeft, a whirlwinde, when the decree brings forth. I would have yota get the chaffe out ofyou,before theday pale as the cho that is, 'before that -day come that (hall make the chafe paffe away. When he faith, Before the day paffe, he Both not meane, as ifthe time (houid paffe as the chiffe; but the meaning is, before the time come that wicked men flail paffe as thechaffe before the winde. Therefore I advife you to fan , and winnow your felves,. get out the chaffe, for if you be chafe, the day will come, and make you paffe as the chaffe , and carry you away. Furt:F.1r, As chafe which the windcarries array. The word fignities, tof¢ecle away as a theefe, fuddainly a, ,d ftcret'y. The corning ofChriff to judgement is compared to the comu,gof a theefe, (t The!: 5. z.) Windeand'fbormes (tatter the chaffe no man knowes where, nor doch any man know how to gather. it up. Wicked men are compared to fulybig and chaff:, in three thine%. Flrit, They are (i.f duly cortidered ) but chaffe in their underttandings, theyhave no foliditie there : f zr they follow things that are but vaine, and cannot profit. Now that man, how high foever, is but chaffe in his underilanding, whopur files vaine in ',teal offolid things. Though Inch a man be re= :-gnu:ed deep :: n licie, and well ballanced inl j 1.igement. yyeL
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