A09376:1364
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.
In this fact of Moses thus generally considered, observe a notable fruit of true faith: It makes a man to esteem more of the state of adoption to be the child of God, then to be the child or heir of any earthly Prince. This is plain in Moses in this place. And the like we may see in David: for though he were a King, yet he set all his royalty and majesty at nought, in regard of Gods blessing of adoption; & therefore saith, The Lord (not the Kingdom of Israel) is my portion. 1And again, when he was kept from the Lords tabernacle, & the company of Gods Saints, through persecution; he saith, The Sparrows and Swallows were more happy then he, Psalm 84, because they had nests where they might keep their young, and sit, and sing; but he could not come near the Lords Altar. And yet more fully to express the earnestness of his affection this way; he saith, he had rather be a man of a base office, even a door-keeper in the house of GOD, then a man of renown in the tents of wickedness. But howsoever, these men were of one mind herein; yet come to our age, and seek in Town, Country, and people, and we shall see this fruit of faith ⟨p. 395⟩is rare to be found: for generally (though I will not say all) the most of those that are borne of good parentage, as the sons of Knights or Squires, and especially of Nobles, are so bewitched with the pride of their earthly Parentage, that they have scarce a thought after adoption in Christ. Gods heavenly graces will take no place in their hearts, but they utterly contemn all other estates of life in regard of their own. And this is the common sin of the whole world: for, at earthly preferments men will stand amazed; but seldom shall you find a man that is ravished with joy in this, that he is the child of God, as Moses did. But his practice must be a president for us to follow: we must learn to have more joy in being the sons of God, then to be heirs of any worldly Kingdoms; and to take more delight in the grace of adoption through Jesus Christ, then in the sonship of any earthly Prince.
In this fact of Moses thus generally considered, obserue a notable fruite of true faith: It makes a man to esteeme more of the state of adoption to be the childe of God, then to be the childe or heire of any earthly Prince. This is plaine in Moses in this place. And the like we may see in Dauid: for though he were a King, yet he set all his royalty and maiestie at nought, in regard of Gods blessing of adoption; & therefore saith, The Lord (not the Kingdom of Israel) is my portion.