A09376:194
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.
2. To the young man. He being in the strength and ripeness of wit, senses, memory, capacity, and in the best of his age: he saith, I will take my pleasure now I am fittest for it: I will repent at the end of my days, and that is a fitter time. This is a vile policy of the devil, to dishonour God, and to cast away their souls. What a grief is it to give the devil his young years, the strength of his body and wit, and to bring his withered old age unto God? nay, be sure, God will not accept thy rotten sacrifice of old age, but rather give thee up to the devil, that he may have thee altogether which hath had the best: then follow rather Solomons counsel, Eccles. 12.1. Who bids thee remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth: Remember Abel's sacrifice, it was of the best. So, thou hast no sacrifice but thy self to offer: offer then the best: thy young years is the best time, give them unto God.
2. To the young man. He being in the strength and ripenesse of wit, senses, memory, capacity, and in the best of his age: he saith, I will take my pleasure now I am fittest for it: I will repent at the end of my dayes, and that is a fitter time. This is a vile policie of the diuell, to dishonour God, and to cast away their soules. What a griefe is it to giue the diuell his young yeares, the strength of his body and wit, and to bring his withered old age vnto God? nay, be sure, God will not accept thy rotten sacrifice of old age, but rather giue thee vp to the diuell, that hee may haue thee altogether which hath had the best: then follow rather Salomons counsell, Eccles. 12.1. Who bids thee remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth: Remember Abels sacrifice, it was of the best. So, thou hast no sacrifice but thy selfe to offer: offer then the best: thy young yeares is the best time, giue them vnto God.
3. To all Christians. Abel offered the best: it teacheth us all, if we will profess and serve God, not to do it by the halves; or for show and fashion sake, or negligently as not caring how. Thus to do, is but to offer the sacrifice of Cain, and that makes the most professors go away with their service unaccepted as Cains was: for God will have all or none, he is worthy to have no partner: he must be served with all the heart, with soul and body, so that a man must consecrate himself wholly unto him.