A09376:457
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.
The last motive of this Reverence in Noah, was, the consideration of Gods power and wisdom, both in the Judgement upon the world, and in the mercy upon him: for first, in the Judgement it was wonderful, that God would choose so weak an element as water to destroy & vanquish the huge Giants of those days: but therein appeared first Gods power, that by so weak means can cast down his enemies: And again, his wisdom; that as an universal wickedness had polluted the whole world, so a flood of water should wash the whole world. Secondly, the mercy was also wonderful, that God should choose to save Noah by so strange a mean; as an Ark, which should swim on the waters. For Noah thought, if the Lord will save me, he will either take me up into heaven (as he did Enoch a little before) or else make me build a house upon the top of the highest mountain. But, the Lord will save him by no such means, but by an Ark: wherein appeared, first Gods power that would save him by so weak a means, as might seem rather to destroy him. For Noah must lye and swim in the midst of the waters, and yet be saved from the waters: and the Ark m•st save him; which, in all reason, if the Tempests had cast it against the hard rocks and mountains, or upon the strong Castles and houses of the mighty Giants, would have been broken in pieces: and so it had, but that God himself was the Master and Pilot in that voyage.
The last motiue of this Reuerence in Noah, was, the consideration of Gods power and wisedome, both in the Iudgement vpon the world, and in the mercy vpon him: for first, in the Iudgement it was wonderfull, that God would chuse so weake an element as water to destroy & vanquish the huge Giants of those dayes: but therein appeared first Gods power, that by so weake meanes can cast downe his enemies: And againe, his wisedome; that as an vniuersall wickednesse had polluted the whole world, so a floud of water should wash the whole world. Secondly, the mercy was also wonderful, that God should chuse to saue Noah by so strange a meane; as an Arke, which should swim on the waters. For Noah thought, if the Lord will saue me, he will either take me vp into heauen (as hee did Henoch a little before) or else make me build a house vpon the top of the highest mountaine. But, the Lord will saue him by no such meanes, but by an Arke: wherein appeared, first Gods power that would saue him by so weake a meanes, as might seeme rather to destroy him. For Noah must lye and swim in the midst of the waters, and yet be saued from the waters: and the Arke m•st saue him; which, in all reason, if the Tempests had cast it against the hard rockes and mountaines, or vpon the strong Castles and houses of the mightie Giants, would haue beene broken in pieces: and so it had, but that God himselfe was the Maister and Pilot in that voyage.