The Art of Prophesying

A TREATISE COtlCERNIN(/ THE SACRED AND ONElV TRVE MANNER i FM written iirLatine fey ^ P er k i N s .*

andnov faithfully orantiaied intcrEiiglifh (for that* coattyieth * j many worthy ttaings^rfor the knowledge ofmen of all dcgfccs) ' • Nihbm. 8.4,5^,

Ezr*#e»td tbtiiike before . r f „ „

Printed byloHN Leqatt. itfii.

sr-i r - — TO THE RIGHT WORAll MIN KNIGHT. M IR, many and excellent benefits hath the Lord in mercy vouchfafcd

to us tbefe eight and forty by-pasty cares together: of which this is not

the leadjif not the greatest, that hchaOi difpcllcd the duskiecloudes of PopiHi darkened as palpable as that of AEgypr, and hath caufcd the * 11 T Sun-Ii° ht of the gospell ro ihine cleef cly in all ourcoalts. Heiheweth

4psip|§A| A iflnf (^3 WO rd unto us, as he did unto Jacob, hts uatutes and his .udgcmen:s,a$ he did fornetimes to IfraelMc Jiath given us his Prophets and Embafl*- dours , which doeferue likcthar cioude and pillar of fireto dirertvsm

AWwa our pilgrimage through the wilderneire of this wicked world ir.to the

celestiall Canaan.Hc hath rhrust forth many faithfuiland indufleious labourers into his Vineyard to prune and to dreiTe the vines of our fouIei 3 jhat we may bring forth the grapes P ic,,c and the clutters of iuUicc;(vnlelTe we will needes be like to the Cyprefle, which, as P/m* faith, can endureno husbanding.butmakeththat her roaladie, which is a i medicine to other trees.; Amongst whome the Author of this learned Tra^ate did Ihew himfelfc wjth the formost; carrying al waies with him a Light of learning,and a Lampc of godly lining. And, vtra, faunaAs he was a Lampe whiles heliued,so like a Lampe, w/w infermensfapfum ctmfumppt.iiisv) hole life was hbourjcribsnda diceps,& legendafcribens. Onewhereof was th.sprefent difcourfe and

plat for roe concerning the true vndcr standiog and vfing ostheScripturei,wiitfen irihisyongcr yearesjwhich IamQdtoprcrentandded.catctoyourWorlhipinthispl.ght you see ? partly because it is a Thefaurm and store-house of excellent precepts, (at Vmttm Ttfo faith that bookes Ihould be fuchjhauing in it Xf.«-#<*^6»»«»fussici C nt furniture to for. her per scfl.cn in that sacred scicnce.and partly .'o demonstrate roy gratitude,and denoted assea.on to you, who hauc alwa.es beeroe a constant pzttot\{etiamtmnitdnte Fort*Ha)to my neerest and dearest fiiends. .

Thusltake my humblclcauc,deGringyourkindacceptance, and so commend your WorIhip with your whole pdgenic totheptotestion of the Lord. Imam, Ian.*, 1C0C. YourWotfliipainall duties Thomas tvke.

£ THE GO S'

t k -r*» t ¥ a nr* » n r delirous ot> ana doe labour for the

knowledge wfHoly learning.

Hat common place efdiuinitie , which concerneth the framing if Sermon/, uM weight ie and difficult jf there be ary other throughout all that sacred science. For IpnSv KTSLogl ( [jf m atter,whicbit is to explicate andtreate on, is Prophecie.j an excellent gift hiI Pf) \{&M deetiwbetber we constderit inrefpeUofdigniiieor.ofvfe. The dignitie thereof apgm piaretbjnthatlikea Ladie it is highly mounted and carried alost in a chariot :

!r^ jfe§fi3ej whereat aH other gifts both of tongues and arts, attend oh this like haudmaides aloof ir */• dinfwerableto tbit dignitie there it also a two-fold vfe : one , in that it (erutth to coUett the Church, andtodccomplifh the number of the Fleet*, the other , for that it driueth away the iVooluesfrom the f aides of the Lord for this is indeedetbat tkxmm&hatal/ureref the Scale -whereby mens frowardminies aremitigatedand moouedfrom an vngodlj and barbarous life unto, Chri/tsan faith and repent ance.This also is that Engine, which as it hathjhokgn the foundation of auncient herefies, so it hath in the fe few bj-past year es, cut a funder the fi news of that great Antichrifi. Wherefore if it bee demanded which is the mofl excellent gift of all, dcubtlesse thepraise mu stbe given to Prophening. Now how much the more excellent every thing Ujoj so much the more diligent l j it ought to be adorned with varietieaud plentie of swept s, Therefore, when If aw this commonplace so handled of many, as that tt would remainenaked and More Mother arts should calif 'or those thmgt, which fret heir owne : / perufed the writings efDi»ines,and bauing gat heredfome rules out of them , Ikaue couched them in that methode, which thane deemed mofl commodiouiuhat they might be betterforvfe,md fitter for the mtmone.l doe also pub lift them, that they might be approouedfsthey bring with them that which tsgoodvf any end, that they may receive their dcferuedpuni/hmeta.Andwhofoeuertbeuart thatpleasefsto reade tbem,wherc thou art perfwadedosthis order of Preaching,which here I handle, walheenwttb me: where thou fiandest * or when * alias inquire with me * where tbouperceiuett thine owneerrors,returne tome: where thou feefi mine, cJLmMi.Idi' h'tkfjH" g>Lf 4 M if Pn(b«)'*i,htbu jm mdto

food* AnP4 Dccerab. n. William Perkins, THE ARTE OF PRO PH fieri NG. CHAP, t I He Arte or facultie of Profi©p§P|? phecjing ii a iicred dodrine xItM ofexercifing Propbecie rightJ|jp|J§8 Prophecie (or ProphecyKssitf il EsS g ing)is a publike and folemne

I. Cor. 14. 3. But bet but prophecieth.speaketh •onto men to edification, to exhortation, & tocotfoUtionfV CtU+Jut if aBprophecie,& there come . wane thatbeleeuetb not^ronevnleamedM itrebukd of ad men, and is ¥ judged of allmen, Rom. l.^.GodU my witnesse.wbom / feruesorworfbip, Ktyim Jin myjfiiritjn the Gossiei of bit S mute.

Of the Pr etching osthe tVcrd.

HTtfrcre are two parts of Prophccie : Prea1 thing of the Word i and Cmeiuiug of Prayers. ,

For in (peaking there tire opety t*o duties osthe Prophet, that is,of theMioiHer osthe wordjto wit, Preaching of the word, and Praytng vnfo God in the name of the people. Kom.ia.rf. Ffasuug propbecie, let vtfrepbeeie wording to the* proportion of fattb . Gen. *0.7. ‘Deliuertbeman bio wife nome, for bo it a Prophet :and when bofbal pray for tbtoj bow {halt Hue, For this caufc the wotdf Profhede)\% gioen so to prayers. i.Chron.25.1. Tho founts of Afapb,and Neman and leduthun, who were fingers , 1 prophecyed with Barpes , with Viols , mid with Cymbals. i.King. 18.26. The Prophets (f Bout called upon the name of Baal from morning to noone. 2 9. And whin mid-day was fassed, and they had prophesied vntiH the offering of the turning facrifce .