The works of Ephesus explained in a sermon before the honourable House of Commons…The workes of Ephesus explained in a sermon before the honovrable House of Commons…

First, the duty of this day moves us to Self-searching and Self examination. The voice of this duty, sounds like that voice of the Prophet Jeremiah, Let us search and try our ways: Like that voice of ¹the Prophet Zephany, Gather your selves together, or ⟨p. 7⟩as others render it, Fan your selves, yea Fan your selves ô Nation not desired. This is a day wherein every work is called to the touch-stone, to try their metal, and all our ways to the balance, even the balance of the Sanctuary, that we may know their weight. The Doctrine calls as loud for this also. For doth Christ know our works, and shall we be ignorant of them? Doth he travel into our hearts, and shall our hearts be terra incognita unto us? Shall we be strangers at home? A sin of Ignorance is less then a sin of Knowledge, but to be ignorant of those sins we may know, for the enquiry, increases and heightens them. Paul in one case after he had searched, said, I know nothing by my self, yet ²am I not hereby justified: but if we know nothing by our selves, because we vvill not be at the pains to search, we shall hereby be condemned; both because the best have many sins they may know, and because to all their sins they have added this, the not endeavouring to know them. The Heathens say, that Oracle of theirs came down from Heaven, Nosce teipsum, know thy self; I am sure no Christian can ascend to Heaven, unless he know himself: Unless he both know himself to be a sinner, and desire to know (according to his light) in what he hath sinned.

First, the duty of this day moves us to Selfe-searching and Selfe examination. The voyce of this dutie, sounds like that voyce of the Prophet Ieremy, Let us search and try our wayes: Like that voyce of ¹the Prophet Zephany, Gather your selves together, or ⟨p. 7⟩as others render it, Fanne your selves, yea Fanne your selves ô Nation not desired. This is a day wherein every worke is called to the touch-stone, to try their metall, and all our wayes to the ballance, even the ballance of the Sanctuary, that wee may know their weight. The Doctrine cals as loud for this also. For doth Christ know our works, and shall we be ignorant of them? Doth he travell into our hearts, and shall our hearts be terra incognita unto us? Shal we be strangers at home? A sinne of Ignorance is lesse then a sinne of Knowledge, but to be ignorant of those sinnes we may know, for the enquiry, increases and heightens them. Paul in one case after he had searched, said, I know nothing by my selfe, yet