John Trapp on Zephaniah 2:1

CHAP. II.

Verſe 1. GAther your ſelvs together, yea together) Excut ite vos, iterumque excutite. Fanne your ſelves, yea fanne your ſelves. The precept is doubled,Tremeli. as it is likewiſe Num. 3.40. and 2 Cor. 13.5. to ſhew the neceſſity of our doing it, as alſo the utility if well done, and laſtly our croſſneſſe and averſneſſe thereunto, together with Gods exceeding great deſire that it ſhould be throughly done for our greateſt good. Grievous things he had threatened in the former chapter: all which to prevent, he here preſcribeth them a courſe of ſelfe-examination, and thereupon ſound converſion: ſo true is that of an ancient Ideo minatur Deus ut non puniat, Iſid. God doth therefore threaten that he may not puniſh. It is as if God ſhould thus ſay, Behold thou art in danger of deſtruction; is it not therefore high time to ſearch, yea to be ſerious and exact in the ſcrutiny? to gather thy diſperſed wits together, to ſummon the ſobriety of thy ſenſes before the barre of thy beſt judgement? to conſider and conſult what is fit to be done in this caſe? to have thine eyes in thine head, with Solomons wiſe man Eccleſ. 2.14? Yea to have thine eyes like the windowes in Solomons Temples, broad inward 1 King. 6.4. Mens minds are naturally as ill ſet as their eyes: they turne neither of them inward. Lamiae-like they are ſharp ſighted abroad to diſcern other mens faults: but blinde at home to take notice of their own. Nature ſhewes no ſinne: what is our iniquity or our ſin, ſaid thoſe in Jeremy when wrath was even breaking out upon them Jer. 16.10? ſo Hoſ, 12.8. Men deal with their ſouls as ſome doe with their bodies; who, when their beauty is decayed, they deſire to hide it from themſelves by falſe glaſſes, and from others by painting: ſo their ſinnes, from themſelves by falſe gloſſes, and from others by excuſes. But he that thus hideth his ſinnes cannot proſper, Prov. 28.13. he muſt not look for gains his proſperity 3 Joh. 2. but for further hardneſſe of heart, Prov. 28.14. and horrour of conſcience Pſal. 32.3. For God will not ſcarfe mens bones before they are ſet, nor lap up their ſores before they are ſearcht. Wherefore Search you, ſearch you O Nation, &c. Search your ſelves to the quick, ſift you to the branne, lay your hands upon your hearts, thruſt them deep into your boſomes with Moſes, ſo ſhall you take them out again leprous as ſnow Exod. 4.6. Commune with your conſciences and be ſtill, or make a pauſe. Pſal. 4.4. lay a peremptory charge upon them to be true to you, and to doe their office impartially, in laying open how many tranſgreſſions are wrapt up in your ſinnes, Levit. 16.21. in bringing them all forth to you, as they in Ezra brought forth the veſſels of the Sanctuary, by number and by w[illegible: 1 letter]ight, Ezra 8.34. in their circumſtances and aggravations. Why ſhould God ſay unto thee of thy ſinnes,, as once Samuel did to Jeſſe of his ſonnes, Are theſe all thy children? Conſcience, if not charged to the contrary, and well watched, will either lye to thee, as Gehezi did to his Maſter: or at leaſt ſubſtract a part of thy ſinnes, as Ananias and Saphira did a part of the price. Search therefore, and follow your work cloſe, that ye may ſay with Ephraim Jer. 31.19. After that I was made known to my ſelfe, I repented, and with David, I examined my wayes, and finding all out of order, I turned my feet to my teſtimonies, Pſal. 119.59.

O nation not deſired] As not deſireable: having nothing of worth in thee wherefore any ſhould be found of thee, or ſeek any further after thee, Daniel was a man of deſires, chap. ut veniant defiderati omnium gentium Jun. 9.23. David a man after Gods own heart. Moſes fair to God, Acts 7.20. The Saints are the deſired ones of all Nations, as ſome read that text Hag. 2.7. The precious ſonnes of Zion comparable (not to ſilver onely, as the word here uſed importeth, but) to ſine gold, Lam. 4.2. As for the wicked, they are all droſſe, Ezek 22.18, 19. and God doth ſo little deſire them, as that he putteth them away, or maketh them to ceaſe as droſſe, Pſal. 119.119. and commandeth others to doe the like by them, Prov. 25.4, 5. Some take the words in the active ſenſe, and render them, O n[illegible: 1 letter]tion not deſirous: viz. to ſearch thy wayes and turne again to me. Thou that haſt no minde to be dealing with thy ſelfe, or to draw nigh to me, but hadſt as leife bee knockt on the head, as doe either: Gens vacua deſiderio. O nation void of any good deſires.Auguſt. Whereas tota Chriſtiani hominis vita ſanctum deſiderium eſt, the whole life of a good Chriſtian is one continuate deſire after God, his kingdome, and the righteouſneſſe thereof. Mat. 6.33. he followeth after it Prov. 21.21. as an Apprentice followeth his trade, though he be not his craftsmaſter. Some faint deſires, luskiſh longings, ſhort-winded wiſhes may be found in a wicked man; but they riſe not up to the full height of well-knit reſolution for God. Like they are to Meteors that are carried above the earth, but not united to the Element of fire: therefore they fall and return to their firſt principles: like ice which melteth in the day, and hardeneth again in the night: like the ſluggard in his bed, that puts out his arme to riſe, and then pulls it in again. See Pſal. 78.34.38.