A09376:1548
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.
A second point to be considered, in Rahabs preservation, is this; Rahab escaped a common danger (but not without all means) only staying her self on the bare promise of the Spies: but, as she believed in the true God, so she used means, whereby she might be sure of her preservation, and that is this; She binds the Spies by an oath, to save her life, and to spare her household:1 also, she keeps within, and ties the cord of red thread in her window ▪ according to their mutual covenant. Thus she useth means for her temporal safety: and so have other of GODs children done in like case. When King Hezekiah (2. Kings 20.6.) was sick, he was certified by the Prophet from GOD, that he should live fifteen years longer; yet he neglected not the means whereby he should be healed, and live: for, he applied dry figs to his bile; and used food, and raiment for his bodily life, during the whole space of those fifteen years. So the Apostle S. Paul, in his voyage by Sea to Rome, was assured by a vision, that none of them that were with him should perish, but all come safe to land: and yet, when the Mariners ⟨p. 486⟩would have gone out, he tells the Centurion, that unless those stayed in the ship (that so they might use the ordinary means) they could not be safe. Now, as it fareth temporally for the saving of the body; so is it in the spiritual case, for the salvation of the soul: men must use means to come by grace, & so to salvation. But, many in this regard be great enemies to their own souls: they say, God is merciful, and Christ is a Saviour, & I hope he will save me; yet they will not use the means to come to salvation. But if we would be saved, then with our inward faith, we must join the observation of the outward ordinary means whereby God useth to save mens souls; as namely, the hearing of Gods word, calling upon God by prayer, and the receiving of the sacraments; that thereby our sinful lives may be amended, and our faith strengthened. This must be remembered of us: for, they that contemn or neglect the means, despise the grace and mercy of God offered therein: and therefore Paul saith of the Jews, when they put the Gospel from them, that they did judge themselves unworthy eternal life, Act. 13.46