A09376:540
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.
But secondly, they were condemned to an eternal destruction in hell: and therefore S. Peter, 1.3.18. saith, Their spirits are now in prison, who were disobedient in the days of Noah. Now all the question is, whether were they all condemned, or no. I answer: For, ought that we certainly know out of the scripture, they were all condemned. Yet in the ⟨p. 144⟩judgement of charity, we are not so to think: and the rather, because there are many probable conjectures, that some of them repented. For, howsoever many of them believed not Noah, judging that he spake of his own head: yet it is more then likely, that when they saw it begin to rain extraordinarily, at least when they saw themselves driven to the tops of the hills, and there looked hourly for death; that then divers of the posterity of Enoch, and Methusalem, and Lamech, were ashamed of their former unbelief, and then turned to God in faith and in repentance. And doubtless, that is the only or the principal cause, why God brought the flood in forty days, which he could have done in four hours; that so men might have time to repent. Genesis 7.
But secondly, they were condemned to an eternall destruction in hell: and therefore S. Peter, 1.3.18. saith, Their spirits are now in prison, who were disobedient in the dayes of Noah. Now all the question is, whether were they all condemned, or no. I answere: For, ought that we certainly knowe out of the scripture, they were all condemned. Yet in the ⟨p. 144⟩iudgement of charity, wee are not so to thinke: and the rather, because there are many probable coniectures, that some of them repented. For, howsoeuer many of them beleeued not Noah, iudging that he spake of his owne head: yet it is more then likely, that when they saw it begin to raine extraordinarily, at least when they saw themselues driuen to the tops of the hilles, and there looked hourely for death; that then diuers of the posterity of Henoch, and Methusalem, and Lamech, were ashamed of their former vnbeliefe, and then turned to God in faith and in repentance. And doubtlesse, that is the onely or the principall cause, why God brought the floud in fourty dayes, which he could haue done in foure houres; that so men might haue time to repent.