A09376:1673
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
Believers under the Maccabees.Beleeuers vnder the Maccabees.
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, because nature will judge it a part of rashness, to refuse life, when it is offered; therefore, to prevent this conceit, against these believers, the holy Ghost sets down a notable reason of this their fact: to wit, They refused deliverance, that they might receive a better resurrection. Many interpreters understand these words, of the resurrection at the day of judgement simply; as though the holy Ghost had said, These Martyrs therefore refused to be delivered from death; because, they looked to receive, at the day of judgement, a greater measure of glory: even for this, that in obedience to God, for the maintenance of true religion, they were content to lay down their lives. This (no doubt) is the truth of God, that the more we humble our selves, in suffering for the name of Christ in this life; the greater shall our glory be, at the general resurrection: for, our light affliction, which is but for a moment, causeth unto us, a far more excellent, and eternal weight of glory, 2. Cor. 4.17. And yet (as I take it) that is not the meaning of these words: but, their resurrection at the last day, is here termed better, than the temporal deliverance offered unto them. For, being in torments on the rack, they were but dead men; and, when life was offered unto them, it was (as it were) a kind of resurrection, and in regard of the enemies of the Church▪ a good resurrection: but, for that, they ⟨p. 543⟩would not lose the comfort of resurrection to life, at the last day.
Now, because nature will iudge it a part of rashnesse, to refuse life, when it is offered; therfore, to preuent this conceit, against these beleeuers, the holy Ghost sets downe a notable reason of this their fact: to wit, They refused deliuerance, that they might receiue a better resurrection. Many interpreters vnderstand these words, of the resurrection at the day of iudgement simply; as though the holy Ghost had said, These Martyrs therefore refused to be deliuered from death; because, they looked to receiue, at the day of iudgement, a greater measure of glory: euen for this, that in obedience to God, for the maintenance of true religion, they were content to lay downe their liues. This (no doubt) is the truth of God, that the more wee humble our selues, in suffering for the name of Christ in this life; the greater shall our glory bee, at the generall resurrection: for, our light affliction, which is but for a moment, causeth vnto vs, a farre more excellent, and eternall waight of glory,