A73023:256
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.
Then said I, woe is me, I am undone.
Then said I, woe is me, I am vndone.
The first point in order is, the fear & ecstasy into which the Lord drove his holy Prophet, which the Lord did not in his anger, but in his love unto him, not for a punishment of sin, but as an evidence of his further love: for the intent and purpose of God in striking this fear into him, was to enable him to be a true prophet, & a fit messenger for himself. It may seem a strange course, which God taketh to confirm & raise up his servant in zeal and courage, to strike him into an extreme fear, even to astonish and amaze him, and yet we see it is the course which the Lord taketh: out of which practise of the Lord, we learn this doctrine: That all true 1Ministers, especially such as are deputed to the greatest works in his church, must be first of all stricken into a great fear, in consideration of the greatness of their function, yea, into an amazement and astonishment, in the admiration of Gods glory & greatness, whose ⟨p. 62⟩room they occupy, & whose message they bring, & the more they are afraid and shrink, so it be under the contemplation of Gods Majesty, and their own weakness, the more likelier it is that they are truly called of God, & appointed for worthy purposes in his Church: but he that steps to this function without fear, he may thrust in himself, but its doubtful whether he be called of God, as here the Prophet was: Nor is it so here alone, but every where when God called any of his servants, to any great work, be first drove them into these fears and a mazements, as is evident ain Moses, in bJeremiah, in cS. Paul and others. The reason of this dealing of the Lord is plain: namely, because mans nature is always ready to take enough and too much unto it self, God therefore in his wisdom puts a bridle unto the corrupt nature of man, & astonisheth it, least it presume too much, & take too much upon it self: Again a Minister is to preach unto the people, fear & reverence of the Lord: but how can he do so to others, when he hath not