A09376:16
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.
This chapter depends on the former, thus:1 We may read in the former chapter, that many Jews having received the faith, and given their names to Christ, did afterward fall away: therefore towards the end of the chapter, there is added a notable exhortation tending to persuade the Hebrews, to persevere in faith unto the end, as also to suffer patiently what ever shall befall them in the profession of it: ⟨p. 2⟩and to urge the exhortation, there are diverse reasons, not needful to be alleged; for they concern not the present purpose.
This chapter depends on the former, thus:1 We may reade in the former chapter, that many Iewes hauing receiued the faith, and giuen their names to Christ, did afterward fall away: therefore towards the end of the chapter, there is added a notable exhortation tending to perswade the Hebrewes, to perseuer in faith vnto the end, as also to suffer patiently what euer shall befall them in the profession of it: ⟨p. 2⟩and to vrge the exhortation, there are diuerse reasons, not needefull to be alleadged; for they concerne not the present purpose.
- 1The Coherence.
Now, in this chapter he continues the same exhortation: and the whole chapter (as I take it) is nothing else in substance, but one reason to urge the former exhortation to perseverance in faith; and the reason is drawn from the excellency of faith: for this chapter doth divers ways set down what an excellent gift of God faith is: his whole scope therefore is manifest to be nothing else, but to urge them to persevere & continue in that faith, proved at large to be so excellent a thing: & indeed he could not bring a better argument to move them to love and hold fast their faith, then by persuading them of the excellency of it. For common reason bids us not only choose, but hold fast that that is excellent.