A09376:1352
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.
Hence we learn, first, that comeliness and beauty is a gift of God: Secondly, that those which excel others in these gifts of nature, must look also that answerably they excel them in holiness, and zeal in the service of God, and doing good unto men, as Moses and David did. But alas, wretched is the practice of these times: for commonly those which have comeliness and beauty above others, do use it as a bait & occasion unto all sin, & naughtiness; as to whoredom and lasciviousness, that hereby they may more fully satisfy their own wretched and satanical lusts: but this must carefully be looked unto, of all such as have the gifts of nature in more excellent manner then others. For if they use them, or rather abuse them to be means of sin, and to set forth the pride and vanity of their hearts, they have much to answer for unto God, at the dreadful day of Judgement. Hath God given thee beauty & comeliness? and doest thou use it as a bait to ensnare others for the satisfying of thy lust? then look unto it thou evil servant, for thou doest not hide, but consume thy Masters talent, employing it to his dishonour; therefore it shall be taken from thee: and in stead thereof, thou shalt have ugliness and deformity, and so in soul and body be tumbled into hell with unclean spirits. And thus much of the first action of their faith, with the circumstances thereof.
Hence we learne, first, that comelinesse and beautie is a gift of God: Secondly, that those which excell others in these gifts of nature, must looke also that answerably they excell them in holinesse, and zeale in the seruice of God, and doing good vnto men, as Moses and Dauid did. But alas, wretched is the practice of these times: for commonly those which haue comlinesse and beauty aboue others, doe vse it as a bait & occasion vnto all sin, & naughtinesse; as to whoredome and lasciuiousnesse, that heereby they may more fully satisfie their own wretched and fatanicall lusts: but this must carefully be looked vnto, of all such as haue the gifts of nature in more excellent manner then others. For if they vse them, or rather abuse them to be meanes of sinne, and to set forth the pride and vanity of their hearts, they haue much to answer for vnto God, at the dreadfull day of Iudgement. Hath God giuen thee beauty & comelinesse? and doest thou vse it as a baite to ensnare others for the satisfying of thy lust? then looke vnto it thou euill seruant, for thou doest not hide, but consume thy Masters talent, imploying it to his dishonour; therefore it shall be taken from thee: and in stead thereof, thou shalt haue vglinesse and deformity, and so in soule and body be tumbled into hell with vncleane spirits. And thus much of the first action of their faith, with the circumstances thereof.