A09376:1067
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.
Herein we are to consider divers points: 1. The Text saith, They confessed; that is, they professed openly, what they were, and what their religion was, and that not only amongst themselves, but before the face of Gods enemies, and heathen men. Gen. 23.4: Abraham told the people of the Land of Canaan, that he was a stranger and a foreigner among them. And when Jacob came before Pharaoh, he confessed, that both his days & the days of his Fathers, were days of Pilgrimage: Gen. 47.9. Now, affirming so openly that they were strangers in those Countries, they intimated a plain denial and dislike of the religion and idolatry of those heathen Countries, and proclaimed themselves to be of another religion: so that this is true which here is said of them; that they made confession and profession of their estate and their faith, and that to the enemies of God.
Heerein we are to consider diuers points: 1. The Text saith, They confessed; that is, they professed openly, what they were, and what their religion was, and that not onely amongst themselues, but before the face of Gods enemies, and heathen men. Gen. 23.4: Abraham tolde the people of the Land of Canaan, that he was a stranger and a forrainer among them. And when Iacob came before Pharaoh, hee confessed, that both his dayes & the dayes of his Fathers, were dayes of Pilgrimage: Gen. 47.9. Now, affirming so openly that they were strangers in those Countries, they intimated a plaine deniall and dislike of the religion and idolatry of those heathen Countries, and proclaimed themselues to be of another religion: so that this is true which here is said of them; that they made confession and profession of their estate and their faith, and that to the enemies of God.
Hence we learn, that we are not to be ashamed of that holy profession of Christian religion to which we are called. Our calling is to profess the Gospel and religion of Christ; now to many it is a reproach & ignominy: but we must learn this special lesson by the example of these men; that howsoever the world judge of Christ and his religion, yet we having entered into this holy profession, and being called hereunto, must never be ashamed of it; much less deny or forsake the same. In the primitive Church it was a contemptible thing both among the Jews & Grecians to