A09376:123
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.
This being so, we are hence taught when we see any disorder in any creature, not to blame the Lord nor the creature, but to turn back to our selves, to take notice of our own sins and corruptions, and to acknowledge this was not so at the first, but our sin was the cause of it; and therefore be humbled & ashamed of our selves, that we should destroy and confound that excellent order which God made, and all creatures (but for us) would have kept till this day: but the common practice is contrary, as I will prove in particulars.
This being so, we are hence taught when wee see any disorder in any creature, not to blame the Lord nor the creature, but to turne backe to our selues, to take notice of our owne sinnes and corruptions, and to acknowledge this was not so at the first, but our sin was the cause of it; and therfore be humbled & ashamed of our selues, that we should destroy and confound that excellent order which God made, and all creatures (but for vs) would haue kept till this day: but the cōmon practice is contrary, as I wil proue in particulars.
God made mans body pure and holy & therefore it had no need to be covered: but with sin came shame,1 & thence came it that God gave us apparel to cover that shame that sin had brought upon us: so oft therefore as a man puts on his apparel, he should be humbled & ashamed by it: and think thus with himself▪ This was not so at the first; Adams body was glorious: whence came this ignominy & shame, which we must cover with apparel? it came from my sin; therefore so often as a man puts it on, so oft should he be quite ashamed of himself, which hath brought this shame upon himself: so as now he must needs have a cloak to cover his shame. But do men make this end of their apparel? nay, rather they make it a banner to display their pride and vanity: and so far are many from being ashamed of it, as that they are contrariwise proud of it. But this is as abominable, & cursed, and senseless a pride, as if the prisoner should be proud of his bolts & fetters, which are signs of his misdemeanour: for, what is thy apparel (make the best of it)? it is but a beautiful cloak of thy filthy shame: then, as bolts & fetters are burdenous, and shameful, though they be of gold: so is the cloak of thy shame, thy apparel, though it be silk, silver or gold: for we should not be ashamed only of ordinary apparel, or base: but even of the