A73023:129
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.
O then, entertain the word of God into thy heart, submit thy soul unto it, let it pierce, & try, and ransack thy heart, and lay before thee thy wretched estate by thy sins, and when thou seest thy nakedness and misery, confess it, bewail it, be humbled for it, cry & call for mercy and forgiveness; pray against thy special sins, strive to purge them out as the poison of thy soul, crave grace from God against all thy sins: and if thou seest any sins more welcome to thy nature, more deer unto thee, and which more prevail ⟨p. 93⟩against thee, then others do: pray against these sins, and strive against them above all: and endeavour, that by the fan of Gods word, they may be blown away from thee. When thou hast done this, then mark, what will come of it: when thou hast fanned thy self, God will not fan thee: but when the fan of his judgement comes; and bloweth so strongly upon the wicked, then the Lord finding thee already fanned, and cleansed by his word, will spare thee, and his judgement shall either blow over thee, and pass by thee untouched (as over Lot, in the destruction of Sodom) or else shall fan out all thy corruptions, and blow thee up to heaven, to be laid up as pure wheat in the heavenly garners, and mansions of glory, which Christ ascended to prepare for thee.
O then, entertaine the word of God into thy heart, submit thy soule vnto it, let it pearce, & try, and ransacke thy heart, and lay before thee thy wretched estate by thy sinnes, and when thou seest thynakednesse and misery, confesse it, bewayle it, be humbled for it, cry & call for mercy and forgiuenesse; pray against thy speciall sinnes, striue to purge them out as the poyson of thy soule, craue grace from God against al thy sinnes: and if thou seest any sins more welcome to thy nature, more deere vnto thee, and which more prevaile ⟨p. 93⟩against thee, then others doe: pray against these sinnes, and striue against them aboue all: and endeuour, that by the fanne of Gods word, they may bee blowen away from thee. When thou hast done this, then marke, what will come of it: when thou hast fanned thy selfe, God will not fanne thee: but when the fanne of his iudgemēt comes; and bloweth so strongly vpon the wicked, then the Lord finding thee already fanned, and clensed by his word, will spare thee, and his iudgement shall either blow ouer thee, and passe by thee vntouched (as ouer Lot, in the destruction of Sodom) or else shall fanne out all thy corruptions, and blow thee vp to heauen, to be laid vp as pure wheat in the heauenly garners, and mansions of glory, which Christ ascended to prepare for thee.