A73023:54
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 your better instruction, and furtherance in the performance hereof: you must know that this Search is to be made by the Law of ⟨p. 22⟩God, for nothing else, but Gods law can help us, & let us see that which we must search for: for if we search by any other means, we may seek & search long enough, ere we find any thing that will be matter of repentance. Ask the devil, he will tell thee all is well, & that thou art in an excellent estate: and God loves thee, and thou art sure of Heaven: this song the devil always sings for the most part till a man comes to die, for then he appears in his colours, but till then, he labours, to sing, and lull all men a sleep in the cradle of security. Ask our own flesh, & our own hearts and natures, and they will answer, and say, that all is well and safe, and that we have believed, and loved and feared God all our days. Ask the world, and men in the world: and they will answer, all is well; and they will say further, that thou art a right good fellow, and art worth twenty of these curious fools that stick upon points, & stand upon circumstances, as swearing and ⟨p. 23⟩drinking, and good fellowship, and gaming, and such other nice and circumstantial points: thus will worldly men answer: for thy profane course is acceptable to them, because thereby thou approvest the same in them. Nay, go further, and ask all humane learning in the world, and it cannot tell thee what one sin is, nor what it is to offend God: so that there remains only the law of God, the light whereof will disclose the darkness of our hearts, and the justice whereof will reveal the unrighteousness & the perverseness of our natures: therefore to the law of God must we fly to help us in this Search.
Now for your better instruction, and furtherance in the performance hereof: you must know that this Search is to be made by the Lawe of ⟨p. 22⟩God, for nothing els, but Gods law can helpe vs, & let vs see yt which we must search for: for if wee search by any other means, we may seek & search long enough, ere we find any thing that wil be matter of repentance. Aske the diuel, he will tell thee all is well, & that thou art in an excellent estate: and God loues thee, and thou art sure of Heauen: this song the diuell alwayes sings for the most part til a man comes to die, for then hee appeares in his colours, but till then, hee laboures, to sing, and lull all men a sleepe in the cradle of securitie. Aske our owne flesh, & our owne hearts and natures, and they will answere, and say, that all is well and safe, and that wee haue beleeued, and loued and feared God all our dayes. Aske the world, and men in the world: and they will aunswere, all is well; and they will say further, that thou art a right good fellow, and art worth twentie of these curious fooles that sticke vpon points, & stand vpon circumstances, as swearing and