A73023:64
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.
This will humble thee, and make thee think vilely, & basely of thy self, and so consequently bring thee to repentance and true amendment: and the very reason, why men repent not, nor amend their ways, is, because they are Pharisees by nature, and think highly of themselves, and of their own natures, and their natural inclinations: this will be a harsh and a strange Doctrine to them: Oh, they have excellent natures, and they cannot endure such, and such sins, and they thank God, they are not as ill as others: but let all such men know, they must cease magnifying ⟨p. 33⟩nature, and learn to magnify Gods grace. Let them know, that nature in them, is in the Root, as much corrupt, as in the worst man in the world, and every mans heart is a bottomless fountain of all sin; therefore praise not thy nature, but Gods grace and mercy, in giving thee so good a nature; or rather, so well restraining, and rectifying thy nature; and stay not there, but desire of the Lord, that as he hath given thee a better tempered nature, than to other men: so also he would bestow on thee his special and saving grace: and as he hath kept thee from the fearful sins of others (thou being as ill, naturally, as they) so he would also lead thee into the way of salvation, which else the best nature in the world, can never attain unto.
This will humble thee, and make thee thinke vilely, & basely of thy selfe, and so consequently bring thee to repentance and true amendment: and the very reason, why men repent not, nor amend their waies, is, because they are Pharisies by nature, and thinke highly of themselues, and of their owne natures, and their naturall inclinations: this will be a harsh and a strange Doctrine to them: Oh, they haue excellent natures, and they cannot indure such, and such sinnes, and they thanke God, they are not as ill as others: but let all such men knowe, they must cease magnifying ⟨p. 33⟩nature, and learne to magnifie Gods grace. Let them knowe, that nature in them, is in the Roote, as much corrupt, as in the worst man in the world, and euery mans heart is a bottomlesse fountaine of all sinne; therefore praise not thy nature, but Gods grace and mercy, in giuing thee so good a nature; or rather, so well restraining, and rectifying thy nature; and stay not there, but desire of the Lord, that as he hath giuen thee a better tempered nature, thē to other men: so also he would bestowe on thee his speciall and sauing grace: and as he hath kept thee from the feareful sins of others (thou being as ill, naturally, as they) so he would also lead thee into the way of saluation, which else the best nature in the world, can neuer attaine vnto.