A73023:128
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.
Now for the first Fan of his word, it hath been used in this land these five and thirty years, and that as powerfully, and as plentifully as any where in the world, and yet (alas) many are more Godless, more ignorant, more profane then ever they were, yea wickedness groweth, and the Chaff increaseth above the Wheat: be sure therefore, that God will bring his second Fan upon us; because we will not suffer the first and the mild and gentle fan of his word to try and search us: therefore he will bring the fearful fan of his judgements, and with it, he will blow soul & body into hell, with those our sins & corruptions, which we would not suffer the Fan of Gods word to ⟨p. 91⟩blow from us. The first hath so long blown in vain, that the second must needs come upon us, & it hath already begun to blow: three or four blasts have blown over us; famine, pestilence, earthquakes, fire, water, wind, these have so blown some of us, that they have taken away a great number of us. For us that remain, this only remains, that we 1strengthen our selves by grace, to be able to stand against the next blast, for come it will, & when it comes, no wealth nor worldly thing can enable us to endure it, only faith & repentance, & the grace of God will stand at that day. Now therefore, in that so fearful a fanning abideth us: seeing it is so near (as appeareth by the blasts already past over us, which are nothing but the forerunners of a greater tempest:) what should be our care (except we care not to be blown body & soul into hell) but to labour to eschew this fearful fan of Gods wrath: or at least, if it come upon us, that it may not blow us to hell, but hasten us to heaven. It thy heart be touched to ⟨p. 92⟩ask, how this may be: I answer thee, only to follow the Prophets advice in this place, by Searching and trying our selves. The way to escape Gods trial, is to try thy self: and to escape Gods judgement, to be a judge to thine own soul: and so the way to escape the fearful fan of God, is to fan thine own heart by the law of God. For whomsoever the first fan (that is the word of God) doth work upon: these men are never blown away with the fan of Gods judgements.
Nowe for the first Fanne of his word, it hath beene vsed in this land these fiue and thirtie yeares, and that as powerfully, and as plentifully as any where in the worlde, and yet (alas) many are more Godlesse, more ignorant, more prophane then euer they were, yea wickednesse groweth, and the Chaffe increaseth aboue the Wheate: bee sure therefore, that God will bring his second Fanne vpon vs; because wee will not suffer the first and the milde and gentle fanne of his word to try and search vs: therefore hee will bring the fearefull fanne of his iudgements, and with it, hee will blowe soule & body into hell, with those our sinnes & corruptions, which we would not suffer the Fanne of Gods worde to