A09376:524
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 use and consideration hereof, should make us all more careful to be true members of Christ, & of his Church, by making not only a bare profession of religion; but by seeking to be incorporate into Christ by faith and true repentance: for this must save us, when nothing else can. As they that were out of the Ark, no gold nor silver could buy out their safety, no lands nor livings, no houses nor buildings, no hills nor mountains, nothing in the world, nor the whole world it self could save them; but being out of the Ark they perished: So if a man be out of Christ, & out of his Church, no gold nor silver, no honour nor glory, no wit nor policy, no estimation nor authority, no friend• nor favour, no wisdom nor learning, no hills of happiness, nor mountains of gold can save his soul; but he must perish in the flood of Gods eternal wrath. For as it proved folly in them that trusted to their high houses, or catched hold on the hills, if they were out of the Ark; so will it prove much greater folly to them that shall trust to any means of salvation, if they be out of Christ. And contrariwise, as they that were in the Ark were sure to be saved, do the waters, winds and weathers, storms and tempests all they could; so that still, the more the waters rose, the Ark rose also, and was ever higher than they; and the higher it was carried by the violence of the waters, the safer it was from the danger of hills and rocks: and so in the midst of danger they were out of danger, and were saved in the midst of the water: So, he that is once truly in Christ, is sure of salvation, nothing can hinder it; floods of calamities may assault him and humble him, but they hurt not his salvation; he is in the Ark, he is in Christ; nay the gates of hell shall not overthrow him: ⟨p. 139⟩but through all the waves of the devils malice, & through all tempests of temptations, the blessed Ark of Christs love and merits shall carry him up, and at last convey him to salvation: this is the blessed assurance of all them that are truly baptized into Christ. But as for such, as out of their profaneness, either care not to be in Christ, or contemn Baptism; let them assure themselves, they be out of the Ark, & they perish certainly. This is the 1. part of the resemblance.
The vse and consideration hereof, should make vs all more carefull to be true members of Christ, & of his Church, by making not onely a bare profession of religion; but by seeking to be incorporate into Christ by faith and true repentance: for this must saue vs, when nothing els can. As they that were out of the Arke, no gold nor siluer could buy out their safetie, no lands nor liuings, no houses nor buildings, no hilles nor mountaines, nothing in the world, nor the whole world it selfe could saue them; but being out of the Arke they perished: So if a man be out of Christ, & out of his Church, no gold nor siluer, no honour nor glory, no wit nor policy, no estimation nor authoritie, no friend nor fauour, no wisdome nor learning, no hilles of happines, nor mountaines of gold can saue his soule; but hee must perish in the flood of Gods eternall wrath. For as it prooued folly in them that trusted to their high houses, or catcht hold on the hils, if they were out of the Arke; so will it prooue much greater folly to them that shall trust to any meanes of saluation, if they be out of Christ. And contrariwise, as they that were in the Arke were sure to bee saued, doe the waters, windes and weathers, stormes and tempests all they could; so that still, the more the waters rose, the Arke rose also, and was euer higher than they; and the higher it was carried by the violence of the waters, the safer it was from the danger of hils and rockes: and so in the midst of danger they were out of danger, and were saued in the midst of the water: So, he that is once truely in Christ, is sure of saluation, nothing can hinder it; flouds of calamities may assault him and humble him, but they hurt not his saluation; hee is in the Arke, he is in Christ; nay the gates of hell shall not ouerthrowe him: