A73023:58
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.
Many men stand much upon their good meaning, and upright heart, and brag of a good nature: but they are foully deceived; for take the civilest man upon the earth, and the seeds of all sins in the world are in him by nature. But to explain this point fully, observe these two clauses.
Many men stand much vpon their good meaning, and vpright heart, and bragge of a good nature: but they are foulely deceiued; for take the ciuilest man vpon the earth, and the seeds of all sins in the world are in him by nature. But to explaine this point fully, obserue these two clauses.
First, I say not, the practise of all sins, but the seeds; for all men practise not all sin: the seeds are in their nature▪ but the practise is restrained, sometime by education, sometime by good and wholesome laws, sometime the constitution of mens bodies deny the practise of some sins, sometime the Country a man dwells in, or calling a man lives in, keeps him from ⟨p. 28⟩the practise of some sins: and always a general and limiting grace of God, restrains the natures of all men from running into many sins: which hand of God, if God should take away, and leave every man to his nature, we should see that every man would practise any sin in the world: yea, even the greatest sins that ever we heard to be done in the world. All men which know themselves know this to be true. And the more a man knows his own heart, the more he seeth that his heart is a sea of all wickedness: & that it is the mercy and grace of God, that he hath not fallen into the mightiest & most monstrous sins in the world.
First, I say not, the practise of all sinnes, but the seedes; for all men practise not all sinne: the seedes are in their nature▪ but the practise is restrained, sometime by education, sometime by good and wholesome lawes, sometime the constitution of mens bodies deny the practise of some sinnes, sometime the Countrey a man dwels in, or calling a man liues in, keepes him from