A09376:1045
A cloud of faithful witnesses, leading to the heavenly Canaan, or, A commentary upon…A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon…
A cloud of faithful witnesses, leading to the heavenly Canaan, or, A commentary upon the 11 chapter to the Hebrews preached in Cambridge by that godly, and judicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executors, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.A cloud of faithfull witnesses, leading to the heauenly Canaan, or, A commentarie vpon the 11 chapter to the Hebrewes preached in Cambridge by that godly, and iudicious divine, M. William Perkins ; long expected and desired, and therefore published at the request of his executours, by Will. Crashawe and Tho. Pierson, preachers of Gods Word, who heard him preach it, and wrote it from his mouth.
London: printed by Humphrey Lownes for Leo. Greene, 1607London: printed by Humfrey Lownes for Leo. Greene, 1607
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.
But saw them afar off.
But saw them afarre off.
Here is the property of their faith, and the power of it; the promises were afar off, and yet they saw them. The phrase here used, is borrowed from Mariners: who being far on the sea▪ cannot descry towns, and coasts afar off, but only by help of some tower or hie place, which their eye will sooner discern, though it be afar off: And so Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob, being long before the day of Christs incarnation, could not other ways see Christ, but afar off, by the eye of faith, in the promises of the Messiah: for, this is the property of faith, to make a thing absent, to be present, after a sort; Faith being the ground of things hoped for, and the evidence of things which are not seen.
Here is the propertie of their faith, and the power of it; the promises were afarre off, and yet they saw them. The phrase here vsed, is borrowed from Mariners: who beeing far on the sea▪ cannot descrie towns, and coasts afarre off, but only by help of some tower or hie place, which their eie will sooner discerne, thogh it be afarre off: And so Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Iaacob, beeing long before the day of Christs incarnation, could not other waies see Christ, but afarre off, by the eie of faith, in the promises of the Messias: for, this is the propertie of faith, to make a thing absent, to be present, after a sort; Faith beeing the ground of things hoped for, and the euidence of things which are not seene.
Here then we may learn a difference between the Church in the old Testament, and in the new. We in the new Testament, have greater measure of knowledge, more lively discerning of the Messiah, and a clearer light of understanding, in the mystery of our salvation by Christ; than the Church had, under the old Testament: howsoever they excelled in faith, yet in the knowledge, and discerning of Christ, they were inferior unto us. And therefore, the Lord made this promise to the time of the Gospel, long before; that then the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters that cover the sea. And Saint Paul proves this performed, when he affirmeth of the Church of the new Testament,