A09376:1292
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.
Where we may learn, that God is the disposer of honours and dignities in this world; he giveth these to whom he will, to some more, and to some less, as pleaseth him: yea sometime he raiseth up men of base and low degree, to great dignity; as David saith, Psal. 113.7, He raiseth the needy out of the dust, and lifteth the poor out of the dung. Now, whence comes this? Is their learning, their great strength, their beauty, or wonderful skill, and knowledge, the cause of their preferment? or the wealth of their parents, or any thing in them? No surely: If we speak of the first cause, we see in this example, that the preferment of Ephraim above Manasseh, was for no cause in Ephraim; for, what was in Ephraim, that was not in Manasseh, when Jacob blessed them? Surely nothing: for, he was but a child as the other was, and a younger child also; but he was preferred by reason of Gods good will towards him. And so it is with all those that are advanced to preferment in this world. Wherefore, seeing honour and dignity cometh not from themselves, or any thing in them; therefore ⟨p. 368⟩they must not ascribe it to their own wit, learning, strength, or friends; but wholly to the gift of God, as the first cause: and so must labour to use it to the honour of him that only gives it, of his good pleasure; else they sacrifice to their own net: Hab. 1.16.
Where we may learne, that God is the disposer of honours and dignities in this world; he giueth these to whom he will, to some more, and to some lesse, as pleaseth him: yea sometime he raiseth vp men of base and lowe degree, to great dignitie; as Dauid saith, Psal. 113.7, He raiseth the needy out of the dust, and lifteth the poore out of the dongue. Now, whence comes this? Is their learning, their great strength, their beautie, or wonderfull skill, and knowledge, the cause of their preferment? or the wealth of their parents, or any thing in them? No surely: If we speake of the first cause, wee see in this example, that the preferment of Ephraim aboue Manasses, was for no cause in Ephraim; for, what was in Ephraim, that was not in Manasses, when Iaacob blessed them? Surely nothing: for, hee was but a childe as the other was, and a yonger childe also; but hee was preferred by reason of Gods good will towards him. And so it is with all those that are aduanced to preferment in this world. Wherefore, seeing honour and dignity commeth not from themselues, or any thing in them; therfore