A09376:191
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.
And further, this holy practice of Abel, came to be a law written, even one of the commandments of the Ceremonial law; namely, that the first borne should be offered to God, Exod. 34.19. And the first fruits of the corn, Levit. 23.10. &c. And that nothing that was lame, blind, maimed, or had any blemish in it, should be offered to the Lord. Deut. 15.21. Abel here did even that which these laws commanded: and these laws commanded the same that he did. Thus God vouchsafed to honour his servant Abel, for his obedient and honest heart; even to make his practice the ground and beginning of one of his own laws: that so the Israelites in all their generations, might in their daily practices, remember this worthy deed of holy Abel to his perpetual honour.
And further, this holy practice of Abell, came to be a law written, euen one of the commaundements of the Ceremoniall law; namely, that the first borne should be offred to God, Exod. 34.19. And the first fruites of the corne, Leuit. 23.10. &c. And that nothing that was lame, blind, maymed, or had any blemish in it, should be offred to the Lord. Deut. 15.21. Abell here did euen that which these lawes commaunded: and these lawes commaunded the same that he did. Thus God vouchsafed to honour his seruant Abell, for his obedient and honest heart; euen to make his practice the ground and beginning of one of his owne lawes: that so the Israelites in all their generations, might in their daily practices, remember this worthy deede of holy Abell to his perpetuall honour.
Now for us the truth is, this law binds us not: for it was a ceremony, and is ended in Christ. Yet the equity and use of it reacheth even to us: namely it teacheth us when we will give any thing unto God, to give the best we have. This is the equity of all those laws ceremonial, which commanded them to give to the Lord their first borne, and their first fruits, and the fattest of their cattle: and so much of them do still bind us. Now, from this rule, are taught divers duties: