A09376:1049
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.
Again, where is more knowledge, there should be more obedience: therefore it concerneth all those that profess themselves to be Christians, & submit themselves to hear and learn the word of God taught unto them; not content themselves with bare knowledge, though it be never so much: But withal, to bring forth the fruits of obedience in their lives & conversations. For, though Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in regard of faith did go far before us: yet seeing we have more knowledge then they had in the Messiah, we must labour to become like unto them in the obedience of our lives: Their faith was stronger then ours: but our obedience should be greater then theirs, because we have more cause to believe then they. S. Paul saith, We all behold as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord with open face: 1And the end thereof is this, that we may be transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the spirit of the Lord. So that the more knowledge we have, the more sanctification we ought to have, and the more hatred of sin, & more obedience to Gods commandments. But, the more is the pity, the case goeth far otherwise with the world: for even many among us that are no Students by profession, have great and commendable knowledge in religion. But where is the fruit hereof in holy obedience to the Laws of God? God by calling hath made us a pleasant vine: but the sower Grapes of sin, are our ordinary fruit, they be ⟨p. 278⟩the Grapes of gall (as Moses saith).2 For Atheism, blasphemy, contempt of Gods word and worship, with open profaning of Gods Sabaoth, do every where abound; to omit the heinous crimes against the second table, as oppression, adultery, and blood touching blood: for all which, we may justly fear, that the Lord will either remove his Candlestick from us, and so of a Church and people of God make us no Church; or else sweep us away by some fearful judgement, as with the besom of destruction, because we withhold the truth in unrighteousness, Rom. 1.18: For better it were not to have known the way of righteousness, then to turn from the holy commandment given unto us: let us therefore join with our knowledge obedience, that so we may show forth our faith in doing the duties of piety unto God, and of brotherly love, and Christianity, unto our brethren. Thus much of the first fruit of their faith.