A09376:1510
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.
Secondly, to make manifest in the weakness and insufficiency of the means, his own all-sufficient power and wisdom, for the furtherance of his glory: for, through weakness is Gods power made perfect, 2. Corinthians chapter 12. verse 9. Hence, our Saviour Christ, when he was to cure the man that was borne blind, tempers clay of spittle, and lays it to his eyes, John, chapter 9. verse 6; A means in common reason, rather fit to make a man blind, then to recover his sight: and yet Christ useth it for the furtherance of Gods glory, in the manifestation of his Divine power, whereby the people might know he ⟨p. 469⟩was able in himself, to do whatsoever he would.
Secondly, to make manifest in the weakenesse and insufficiencie of the meanes, his owne all-sufficient power and wisedome, for the furtherance of his glory: for, through weakenesse is Gods power made perfect, 2. Corinthians chapter 12. verse 9. Hence, our Sauiour Christ, when hee was to cure the man that was borne blinde, tempers clay of spittle, and layes it to his eyes, Iohn, chapter 9. verse 6; A meanes in cōmon reason, rather fit to make a man blinde, then to recouer his sight: and yet Christ vseth it for the furtherance of Gods glory, in the manifestation of his Diuine power, whereby the people might knowe hee ⟨p. 469⟩was able in himselfe, to doe whatsoeuer he would.
Now, look what course the Lord here takes for the battering of the walls of Jericho, the like he useth in overthrowing the kingdom of the devil, the spiritual Jericho; especially in the new testament. For, after Christs ascension, when he intended to destroy the Kingdom of darkness, under which all the nations sate, he sets apart a few fisher-men, simple persons, wanting worldly wit & policy; neither did he put a sword of flesh into their hands, but the word of God into their mouths: and thus sent them to dispossess the devil out of all the world, and to batter down the kingdom of darkness by their preaching. And now in these later days, wherein the Antichristian kingdom of the Pope had spread it self through all places almost, God used the same weak means to overthrow it. For, he set apart a silly Monk, and endues him with gifts to preach the truth: by which means, the kingdom of Antichrist received a greater wound, than if ten Princes had set themselves against it. And strange it is to see, how GOD overturneth all the stratagems devised against his Church, and how he vanquisheth the power of sin, by the weak means of the Gospel preached, and by the prayers of the Church; than which, to the world nothing seems more feeble or foolish.