A73023:131
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.
Beloved, you come hither to this 1place, purposely to buy and sell and thereby, to better your estates in this world: how happy then are you, if besides the good markets, you make for your bodies and estates, you learn also how to make your selves abide the trial of Gods judgements, and how to be made pure corn, fit to replenish the garners of heaven, & how to continue Gods favour and the Gospel to this Nation. If thou go away with this lesson, thou hast a Jewel more worth, then ⟨p. 96⟩if thou shouldest go home possessed or all the huge riches of this Fair: you call this and such like times, Fair times: but if thou learn this lesson right, then thou mayest say, that this was the fairest day in deed, that ever shone upon thee, since thou wast borne. This precious Jewell which I have spoken of all this while, I hear offer unto thee. Every one brings hither some-thing to be sold, this is the merchandise that I bring and set to sale unto you: what ever commodity any of you bring, it is from some quarter of this land, but all is from the earth: but this that I bring, it is from heaven: and all the earth cannot yield it: and as it is from heaven, so it is of a heavenly virtue, and will work that which all the wealth in this fair is not able to do: therefore cast not, to buy the basest, and let pass the best of all: and never allege that it is above thy compass, and being a Jewell, it is too dear and costly for thee: for I offer it freely unto you, and to every one of you, I pronounce unto you, from the ⟨p. 97⟩2Lord, that here this blessed doctrine is offered unto you all, in his name, freely, and that you may buy it without money. Happy is that day when thou coming so far to buy things for thy body, and pays so dear for them, doest meet with so precious a Jewell, the virtue whereof, is to save thy soul, and payest nothing for it. Thou mayest hereafter rejoice and say: I went to buy and sell, and to help my body: but I have also learned to save my soul. I went thither to help to maintain my own estate: but I have learned to help to maintain England in prosperity: for assuredly, if we would all of us learn this lesson, and practise it, we might assure our selves of the glorious prosperity of England, to continue from generation to generation: