A09376:1126
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.
In that it is said, God was not ashamed to be called their God; Here first we learn, that God doth not vouchsafe his mercy equally to all men, but some men have more prerogative in his favours and mercies then others. Kings make choice among all their subjects, of some men, whom they will prefer to be of their counsel or guard, & to whom they will give special countenance, and dispense their favours more liberally then to all: Even so God among all Abrabrahams kindred maketh choice of these three persons, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to bestow on them such special ⟨p. 306⟩honour, as he vouchsafed not to any of their fore-fathers afore them, nor posterity after them. No marvel therefore though he bestow not his special mercy upon all, seeing he dispenseth not his inferior favours unto all alike. And yet for all this, he is no accepter of persons: for, he only is properly said, to be an accepter of persons, that preferreth one before another, in regard of some quality in the person: but God vouchsafed this honour unto these three, only of mere mercy and good will, and not for any thing he respected in them.
In that it is said, God was not ashamed to be called their God; Here first we learn, that God doth not vouchsafe his mercie equally to all men, but some men haue more prerogagatiue in his fauours and mercies then others. Kings make choise among all their subiects, of some men, whom they wil prefer to be of their counsel or guard, & to whom they will giue speciall countenance, and dispence their fauours more liberally then to all: Euen so God among all Abrabrahams kindred maketh choise of these three persons, Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, to bestowe on them such speciall ⟨p. 306⟩honour, as he vouchsafed not to any of their fore-fathers afore them, nor posterity after them. No meruaile therfore though he bestowe not his speciall mercy vpon all, seeing he dispenceth not his inferiour fauours vnto all alike. And yet for all this, he is no accepter of persons: for, hee onely is properly said, to be an accepter of persons, that preferreth one before another, in regard of some quality in the person: but God vouchsafed this honour vnto these three, only of meere mercy and good will, and not for any thing he respected in them.