A09376:1721
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.
The holy Ghost addeth, that they wandered in wilderness▪ and mountains, and dons, and Caves of the earth. These were desolate places, and not inhabited: and yet for the wickedness of the world, GOD will have these beleever• here to wander. We must not think, that they betook themselves voluntarily to this solitary life; but only upon necessity being constrained by persecution to fly into the wilderness, for the saving of their lives, and the keeping a good conscience.
The holy Ghost addeth, that they wandred in wildernesse▪ and mountaines, and donnes, and Caues of the earth. These were desolate places, and not inhabited: and yet for the wickednesse of the world, GOD will haue these beleeuer• here to wander. Wee must not thinke, that they betooke themselues voluntarily to this solitary life; but onely vpon necessity being constrained by persecution to flie into the wildernesse, for the sauing of their liues, and the keeping a good conscience.
This serves to descry unto us the blind error of many ages afore us, wherein it hath been thought, and is by Papists at this day, to be a state of perfection, to live a ⟨p. 562⟩Monk or Hermite out of all societies, in some desert place, and there to spend the whole life in contemplation only, & that voluntarily: and they magnify this estate so much, that hereby they think to merit eternal life at the hands of God. But these believers did neither voluntarily, nor with opinion of merit betake themselves to this solitary life, but on necessity. And, indeed this kind of life hath no warrant in Gods word: for, every Christian is a member of two Kingdoms; of Christs Kingdom of grace, and of that particular state where he dwelleth: and by reason hereof hath a two-fold calling; a temporal, and a spiritual calling. In both of which, he must walk diligently so long as he can, doing the duties both of a child of God, and of a member of that common-wealth where he liveth. Now, when a man goes voluntarily to lead a solitary life, he forsakes his temporal calling altogether, and performs the other but negligently; for, he withdraws himself from many duties of piety, whereby the people might be furthered to God-ward: which none can do with a good conscience.