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…

Now as for the examples of men, as the examples of wicked men are every way to be eschewed, so good mens are to be followed: for, whatsoever is written, is written for our learning, Rom. 15.4. And for them we are to know that their examples or actions, contrary to the word, are therefore to be avoided, because they be contrary: as, Noah's drunkenness, Lots Incest, Davids Adultery, and many other his infirmities, and such like. Such as are directly agreeable with the word of God, are to be embraced and received as directions for our lives, not for their own sake, but because they are agreeable to the word. But as for such as are neither commanded nor forbidden; and being done, were neither allowed nor disallowed: these being done by godly men, and such who for their faith were approved of God, and against which no exception can be taken in the word, they be as rules and directions for us in the like cases. Now there is no action that can fall out in the life of a Christian man, for which he hath not out of the Scripture either a rule general or particular, or else some example to follow, which is as good as a rule unto him. And thus we see how the Scripture affords directions for all our actions. In the demonstration whereof, we have stood the longer, because it is a principle of great moment. The use hereof is double. First, ⟨p. 79⟩we must therefore in all the actions of our lives and callings, take consultation with the word of God: and for our direction therein, we must search for either general or particular rules, or at least for examples of godly men in like cases. And without the warrant and direction of some of these, we are by no means to enter into any thing, or to do any work. If we do, then we cannot clear our selves from sin in so doing: for we sin, because we please not God in doing that action: we please not God, because we have no faith for the doing of it: we have no faith, because we have no warrant nor ground in the word for it. Therefore what-ever a man presumeth to do without some warrant in the word for his direction, he sinneth in so doing.

Now as for the examples of men, as the examples of wicked men are euery way to be eschewed, so good mens are to be followed: for, whatsoeuer is written, is written for our learning, Rom. 15.4. And for them we are to know that their examples or actions, contrary to the word, are therefore to be auoided, because they be contrary: as, Noahs drunkennesse, Lots Incest, Dauids Adultery, and many other his infirmities, and such like. Such as are directly agreeable with the word of God, are to be embraced and receiued as directions for our liues, not for their owne sake, but because they are agreeable to the word. But as for such as are neither commaunded nor forbidden; and being done, were neither allowed nor disallowed: these being done by godly men, and such who for their faith were approued of God, and against which no exception can be taken in the word, they be as rules and directions for vs in the like cases. Now there is no action that can fall out in the life of a Christian man, for which he hath not out of the Scripture either a rule generall or particular, or else some example to follow, which is as good as a rule vnto him. And thus wee see how the Scripture affoords directions for all our actions. In the demonstration whereof, we haue stoode the longer, because it is a principle of great moment. The vse hereof is double. First,