A73023:280
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.
Secondly, the Prophet couples together 1his own pollution, and the pollutions of his people, as the adjuvant, or helping cause & the effect: For the pollution of a people, helps forward the pollution of a Minister, and the worse people they are, the worse do they make him, though he be otherwise never so good: For even the Prophet, though called of God himself, & justified and sanctified, & a man of extraordinary grace, yet dwelling in the midst of a people so stubborn & disobedient, as the Jews were, was something touched with their pollutions: Ministers (even the best) are men, and this comes to pass by reason of the corruption of their nature as they are men: the nature of which corruption is to apprehend any evil where ever it finds it, and to partake with it: regeneration qualifieth & abates this corruption, but takes it not away perfectly in this life: ⟨p. 86⟩whereby it comes to pass, that a Minister, living amongst evil people, cannot but be somewhat stained with their pollution, of what sort soever they be: insomuch as it is often seen, that one known to be otherwise disposed of himself, is found to be disposed to this or that evil, by living amongst a people so disposed. And again, that a minister in such a place, and amongst such people, free from such and such sins, removed to another place, is there found more or less tainted with them, because they abound amongst the people: and yet further, that a minister, known to be faithful, painful and zealous, & coming to a disobedient, stubborn, froward, or profane & dissolute people, his faith is weakened, 2his zeal & courage abated, Gods graces in him dulled, & much decayed: godly Ministers do daily complain hereof, and experience every where shows it too true. Out of this, we may learn something both for our instruction, and for our conversation.
Secondly, the Prophet couples together 1his own pollution, and the pollutions of his people, as the adjuvant, or helping cause & the effect: For the pollution of a people, helpes forward the pollution of a Minister, and the worse people they are, the worse doe they make him, though he be otherwise neuer so good: For euen the Prophet, though called of God himself, & iustified and sanctified, & a man of extraordinary grace, yet dwelling in ye midst of a people so stubborne & disobedient, as the Iewes were, was something touched with their pollutions: Ministers (euen the best) are men, and this comes to passe by reason of the corruption of their nature as they are mē: the nature of which corruption is to apprehend any euill where euer it findes it, and to partake with it: regeneration qualifieth & abates this corruption, but takes it not away perfectly in this life: