A09376:1511
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.
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.
Now, looke what course the Lord here takes for the battering of the walles of Iericho, the like he vseth in ouerthrowing the kingdome of the diuell, the spirituall Iericho; especially in the new testament. For, after Christs ascension, when he intended to destroy the Kingdome of darkenesse, vnder which all the nations sate, he sets apart a fewe fisher-men, simple persons, wāting worldly wit & policy; neither did hee put a sword of flesh into their hands, but the word of God into their mouthes: and thus sent them to dispossesse the diuell out of all the world, and to batter downe the kingdome of darkenesse by their preaching. And now in these later daies, wherein the Antichristian kingdome of the Pope had spread it selfe through all places almost, God vsed the same weake meanes to ouerthrow it. For, hee set apart a silly Monke, and indues him with gifts to preach the truth: by which meanes, the kingdome of Antichrist receiued a greater wounde, than if tenne Princes had set themselues against it. And strange it is to see, how GOD ouerturneth all the stratagems deuised against his Church, and how hee vanquisheth the power of sinne, by the weake meanes of the Gospel preached, and by the praiers of the Church; than which, to the world nothing seemes more feeble or foolish.