AN EXHORTATI~ ON TO REPENTANCE. Zephaniah, 2. v.I, 2. Search your {eluesj euen fearch you 0 nation, not worthj to be beloued: before the :Decree come forth, and .JOU be M cb".fe that pajfeth on aday. • He Prophet in thdirfichnp• ter of this prophecy rcbul«S the lcwu of three notable crimes, Idolatrie, fraud ; and crueltie.In this fecond he ex– horts them to repentance, and '\\'ithall rqnooueth fome of their fpeciall fitmes. In the three fi•fi vcrfcs bee propotmdcth the Doctrine ofRcpentancc, and addcth fome fpccial_l rcatOns tomoouc and ftirre them vp to the praCtife ofit. Inpropoun– ding the Doctrine of Repentance, he direcls it to two forcs of men: FidlJ to the oblhnatc &. impenitent Icwcs,in the firlland fccond verfcS. Sccondly,to the better fort ofthC, in the' third, So that the funlmcandfubflance of thcf~ two firfl vcrfcs, is abricfc ,and iUmmarie •prbpoun– ding 9fthc dotlrincof Rcpent11nce to the ob– fiinatc ]C\'\'Cs.Thc \o\'Ords·containc in them flue feuerall·points, touching the dotlrinc of Re– pentance. t. The dude to be p<"rformed; Sttarch, z. Who mufl be fcarchcd: yuY[clues. , l· Who muff doe ic; the leweJ: who arc furth.<:r defcri~ bed to be anatirm, not worthie to be beloued of God.- thcfc arc in the firtl vcrfe 4- 1n the fc– eond verfe, the time limititlg them,whcn'to re– pent,beforerhe Decree comeforth; that is,before God harh put in execution the iudgemems whichare alreadic dcs;rced and appoiored for them. 5· A forcible rea(on vrging them to doe it, which licthhid, and is nccdfarily itllplicd in the fourth point;namelyjthat there t5-a DccYce againft rhcm,which wants-nothing but executi– on: which alfo fhlll come vnleffe they rrpenr; wh:rcby they fi1all be fanned: and lfthcy fhali be found to be chaffc, they l11aH t:1H~ 'J'Nay·with the windc of Gods iufl:icc. Of ali thefc points in order. For the firll,thc: holy Ghofl (aith,Search_your A feiHet. The WOrds 3re cotnmbnly read thuS;G,r.s theryourfoiHes: \'vhich though it be good; fot that in repcnt:incc a man gathcrerh himfclfe; atid all his wits together, which afore were di– fper!Cd, and wandered vp and downc in vanity: yet I rather allo\V their tranflation, who rcsd thus,SMrch,otfaJmeJOitr feiues: but drhcr Of ! Iuulai. themm3y !land,bccaufe the word in the Original dorh comptehend both fi.gnificatlons!ycr it fccmcrh that to fearch,or fift,fits this·place bet– tc:r,confidcring ~he fame rnatincr offpcech is af' tcrwards continued in the word chajfe: fo rhat the mean:ng of the holy Ghofl fCCiheth to be this; Search, trie, ;md fanne your fdues, Icall B you be found lightchatfc, and fo Hie away, and be co'nfumcd before the iufl:icc ofGod. Con(C'rning this duri~ offc~rching;tct VS ob'.. fcrua;firH,that the holyGhofi vrging·rhe ]e\11.~ to repent, vfcth noc the v\'or.d RCpemancc, bur biddcs them fc:uch thcinfclilcs:ycr mcaoing;hc won\d hauc them to repent .: giuing V5 td vn:– dcrftan.d, that nd tn:ln tan hai1c tr~i: !1hd found rcpcmance,hur he who hath firll ofall fc:::rched and .cxatl':ined hirnftlfe : and thif !lands with good reaton: for no m:tn can rcpfr,who firA of a!Ldoth not kno\\' himfelfc,and his O\>YOC wrcr– chcdncs: But no man can fee into himfclfc,nor kno\\' himiClfc, bm hcc that doth dlligcmly C fcarch himfc!fc"'~ fo: rhn the beginning of :tll gracc,is for a m'ln to feareh, and rrie,and fannC himfclfc, that thereby he n1ay know what is In himfclte: th:tt fo \'pon d~c fcarch; fecin g his fcarcfidl atH.I damnable efhtc-, he tn:~y forf.1l<e himfclfc, ~nd his ownc waies, -anci tui·ne to the Ldrd. Thus fpelketh the holy GhoH in ilic hc:~rrs of holy men; !.. et 1.:s fr!drth and try oi1r rvtl)C!: and !1'1arkcwhat follol{'tth; and.t:'1.Ym: ;,:. ga~He tothe Lord: as though there -"''ere no wr·- our felucs. 'W tth tb.l~t..:.!_!~~~-the h6'ly nin·g :\gain to t!1.ctor~i, bu~~frci: a .fC'~:-chin·g oF\ _ ______________________.-::.PLp,p 3 . C hofi, :,
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