A09376:127
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.
Sin it was, and thy sin that destroys so many creatures for the belly of man: it is a vanity come upon creatures for mans sin, that they must die for mans meat. The death therefore of every creature, should be a corrosive to a mans heart: when he seeth it, it should touch him to the quick, and make him say, This creature dieth not for it self, but for me: not for it own fault, but for mine. Miserable sinner that I am, if I had right I should rather die then it. God made it once for a better end, but my sin hath brought it to this corruption. If this consideration took place, men would not eat their ordinary fare with so little use: nor at extraordinary occasions be so careless how much they spend, and how many creatures they cause to die.
Sinne it was, and thy sinne that destroyes so many creatures for the belly of man: it is a vanitie come vpon creatures for mans sinne, that they must die for mans meate. The death therefore of euery creature, should be a corsiue to a mans heart: when hee seeth it, it should touch him to the quicke, and make him say, This creature dieth not for it selfe, but for mee: not for it owne fault, but for mine. Miserable sinner that I am, if I had right I should rather die then it. God made it once for a better end, but my sinne hath brought it to this corruption. If this consideration tooke place, men would not eate their ordinary fare with so little vse: nor at extraordinarie occasions be so carelesse how much they spend, and how many creatures they cause to die.
But you will say, God hath given us liberty in meats: differences of meats are taken away in Christ, and God hath ⟨p. 30⟩given us use of his creatures, not only for necessity, but more liberal use even for greater delight and comfort. I answer: I grant all this and more too, to a man that hath faith. I grant, feasts and banquets are lawful for some men on some occasions. I take not away any mans liberty in meats: God hath granted it, and man ought not to take it away. I only wish that when we eat, we also would make this use of it: and that we would not too riotously abuse that liberty that God hath given us for diversity of meats: faith gives us leave and liberty to eat; yet faith denies not a man to make a holy use of his eating, for his own humiliation, but rather commands it.