A73023:100
M. Perkins, his Exhortation to repentance, out of Zephaniah preached in 2. sermons in…
M. Perkins, his Exhortation to repentance, out of Zephaniah preached in 2. sermons in Stourbridge Fair. Together with two treatises of the duties and dignity of the ministry: delivered publicly in the University of Cambridge. With a preface prefixed touching the publishing of all such works of his as are to be expected: with a catalogue of all the particulars [sic] of them, diligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word.M. Perkins, his Exhortation to repentance, out of Zephaniah preached in 2. sermons in Sturbridge Faire. Together with two treatises of the duties and dignitie of the ministrie: deliuered publiquely in the Vniuersitie of Cambridge. With a preface præfixed touching the publishing of all such workes of his as are to be expected: with a catalogue of all the perticulers [sic] of them, diligently perused and published, by a preacher of the word.
London: printed by T. Creede for William Welby, 1605
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Look at the outward face of our Church, at the signs of Gods love, which are amongst us, and at Gods dealing with us; and behold, we are a most beautiful Church, a glorious Nation, a Nation to be admired, and wondered at: but look at the lives of our ordinary professors, look at our sins, and at our requiting of Gods love: and we are a people of Sodom, as full of iniquities as they were, whose sins are so many, so rife, and so ripe; that at the last they will even bring down fire & brimstone, or some other strange judgement upon us, if repentance do not prevent it, or the cries and prayers ⟨p. 67⟩of holy men stay not Gods hands. So, then let us all here assembled, grant & confess, that we are a Nation so far from being worthy to be beloved, as that we are most worthy to be hated, & to have all the wrath of God poured upon us.
Looke at the outward face of our Church, at the signes of Gods loue, which are amongst vs, and at Gods dealing with vs; and behold, we are a most beautifull Church, a glorious Nation, a Nation to bee admired, and wondred at: but looke at the liues of our ordinarie professors, looke at our sinnes, and at our requiting of Gods loue: and we are a people of Sodome, as full of iniquities as they were, whose sinnes are so many, so rife, and so ripe; that at the last they wil euē bring down fire & brimstone, or some other strange iudgement vpon vs, if repentance doe not preuent it, or the cries and prayers ⟨p. 67⟩of holy men stay not Gods hands. So, then let vs all here assembled, grant & confesse, that we are a Nation so farre from being worthy to bee beloued, as that we are most worthy to be hated, & to haue all the wrath of God powred vpon vs.
Now then, are we so? and shall we continue so still? Nay, that is the worst, and most wretched of all: then let every one of us learn this duty, enter into our selves, Search our hearts and lives, that they may lye open to our own sight, to the confusion of us in our selves, that in God by repentance we may be raised up.