A09376:1240
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.
Now further, this kind of blessing, whereby one man blesseth another, is either private or public. A private blessing is that, whereby one private man whatsoever he be, in his place, prays to God for a blessing upon another. And this is common to all men: for every man may bless another, that is, pray to God for a blessing upon another; but especially it belongeth to Parents thus to bless their children, by praying to GOD for a blessing upon them. And therefore the Commandment goes thus, Honour thy fa-thy father and thy mother, that they may prolong thy days in the Land, which the Lord thy God giveth thee. Exod. 20.12. Now, Parents prolong their children's days by blessing them; ⟨p. 348⟩that is, by teaching and instructing them in religion, and by praying unto God for a blessing upon them, that he would bless them. Secondly, there is a public kind of blessing, which is done by the minister of GOD, in the name of God. And after this sort, Melchizedek blessed Abraham, as he returned from the slaughter of the Kings, Heb. 7.1: and without all contradiction, (saith the Author of this Epistle) the less is blessed of the greater (Verse 7). Further, these public kind of blessings are of two sorts; either ordinary or extraordinary. An ordinary kind of public blessing is that, which is pronounced, and uttered out of Gods word by an ordinary minister, upon the people. Example of this we have in the ordinary Priests in the old Testament; whose duty was in the service of God to bless the people, before their departing. And the form of blessing which they should use, is prescribed unto them by Moses, after this manner from the Lord: Thus shall ye bless the children of Israel, 1and say unto them; The Lord bless thee, and keep thee, the Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be merciful unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. Where, we see the manner of the Priest was to bless the people, not in his own name, but in the name of God, stretching out his hand over the heads of the people.
Now further, this kinde of blessing, whereby one man blesseth another, is either priuate or publike. A priuate blessing is that, whereby one priuate man whatsoeuer he be, in his place, prayes to God for a blessing vpon another. And this is common to all men: for euery man may blesse another, that is, pray to God for a blessing vpon another; but especially it belongeth to Parents thus to blesse their children, by praying to GOD for a blessing vpon them. And therefore the Commaundement goes thus, Honour thy fa-thy father and thy mother, that they may prolong thy dayes in the Land, which the Lord thy God giueth thee.