A09376:172
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.
Reason not with thy self, I work hard and follow my calling, I hurt no man: thus could Cain reason, and yet but cursed Cain. Thou must then beside these, get that that Cain did not; Learn in thy conscience to see and feel thy sin, to be grieved for it, so as thou mayest say: My sickness, my poverty, my crosses grieve me: but nothing so much as my own sins, these trouble me above all, & this grief swalloweth up all the rest. And there is another thing which I seek above all: not gold, silver, or promotion; but reconciliation with my God, and his favour in Jesus Christ: If thou hast these two, then thou goest beyond Cain, then shalt thou stand before God with Abel, and be accepted. Remember these two; humiliation for sin, and desire of reconciliation: these two is the sum of religion. If thou hast these, thou art blessed with Abel; if not, cursed with Cain, howsoever thou livest in the world. If thou say Cain killed his brother, and so would not I do for all the world, I will do no man hurt in body or goods; This will not serve: for it is said that God had no respect to Cain afore he killed his brother, even when he offered his sacrifice: and therefore this duty is most necessary, and there is no shifting it off.
Reason not with thy selfe, I worke hard and follow my calling, I hurt no man: thus could Cain reason, and yet but cursed Cain. Thou must then beside these, get that that Cain did not; Learne in thy conscience to see and feele thy sinne, to be grieued for it, so as thou maist say: My sicknesse, my pouerty, my crosses grieue me: but nothing so much as my owne sinnes, these trouble me aboue all, & this griefe swalloweth vp all the rest. And there is another thing which I seeke aboue all: not gold, siluer, or promotion; but reconciliation with my God, and his fauour in Iesus Christ: If thou hast these two, then thou goest beyond Cain, then shalt thou stand before God with Abell, and be accepted. Remember these two; humiliation for sinne, and desire of reconciliation: these two is the summe of religion. If thou hast these, thou art blessed with Abell; if not, cursed with Cain, howsoeuer thou liuest in the world. If thou say Cain kill'd his brother, and so would not I doe for all the world, I will do no man hurt in body or goods; This will not serue: for it is said that God had no respect to Cain afore he kill'd his brother, euen when he offred his sacrifice: and therefore this duty is most necessary, and there is no shifting it off.