A faithful and plain exposition upon the 2. chapter of Zephaniah by that reverend…A faithfull and plaine exposition vpon the 2. chapter of Zephaniah by that reuerend…

The man that passeth upon ridges of mountains, and sides of hills, or that goeth over a narrow bridge, or some dangerous and steep rocks, at midnight, feareth not because he seeth no danger: but bring the same man, in the morning, and let him see the narrow bridge, he went over in the night, under which runs a violent stream, and a bottomless gulf, and the dangerous Mountains and Rocks he passed over, and he will wonder at his own boldness, and shrink for fear to think of it, and will by no means venture the same way again: for ⟨p. 9⟩now he seeth the height of the Mountains; the steepness of the hills, the cragginess of the Rocks, the fearful downfall, and the furious violence of the stream underneath, and thereby seeth the extreme danger, which afore he saw not: therefore he wondereth, and rejoiceth, that he hath escaped so great a danger; and will by no means be drawn to go that way in the day, which he went most carelessly in the darkness of the night, but seeketh another way (though it should be far about:) So a sinner in his first estate, which is natural and corrupt (as we are bred and borne) hath a veil before his face; so that he seeth nothing: ⟨p. 10⟩the wrath of God, and the curse due for sin, hell, & damnation, seeking to devour him, he seeth them not, although (living always in sin) he walketh in the very jaws of hell it self, and because he seeth not this fearful danger, therefore he refuseth no sin at all, but rusheth securely into all manner of sin: the night of impenitency, and the mist of ignorance, so blinding his eyes, that he seeth not the narrow bridge of this life, from which if he slide, he falls immediately into the bottomless pit of hell.

The man that passeth vpon ridges of mountaines, and sides of hills, or that goeth ouer a narrow bridge, or some dangerous and steepe rocks, at midnight, feareth not because he seeth no danger: but bring the same man, in the morning, and let him see the narrowe bridge, hee went ouer in the night, vnder which runnes a violent streame, and a bottomlesse gulfe, and the daungerous Mountaines and Rockes hee passed ouer, and hee will woonder at his owne boldenesse, and shrincke for feare to thinke of it, and will by no meanes venture the same way againe: for ⟨p. 9⟩now he seeth the height of the Mountaines; the steepenesse of the hils, the cragginesse of the Rocks, the fearefull downfall, and the furious violence of the streame vnderneath, and thereby seeth the extreame danger, which afore he saw not: therefore he wondreth, and reioyceth, that hee hath escaped so great a daunger; and will by no meanes bee drawne to goe that waye in the day, which he went most carelesly in the darknesse of the night, but seeketh another way (though it should bee far about:) So a sinner in his first estate, which is naturall and corrupt (as wee are bred and borne) hath a vaile before his face; so that he seeth nothing: