A09376:541
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 it will be said: If any repented, why then were they not saved? I answer; because they repented not in time, when they were called, by Noah's preaching. Repentance is never too late, to save the soul from hell: but it may be too late to save the body from a temporal judgement. And this, I take it is, that that we may safely hold: for it seems too hard to condemn all the posterity of Methusalem, Enoch, Lamech, and other holy Patriarchs (who, as the Text saith, begat sons and daughters) and to think, that none of them repented, when they saw the flood come indeed, as Noah had said. It cannot be, but they heard their Fathers preach: and why might not that preaching work upon their hearts, when the Judgement came, though afore it did not? But why then did not God record in the Scripture, neither their repentance, nor salvation, but hath left it so doubtful?
But it will be saide: If any repented, why then were they not saued? I answer; because they repented not in time, when they were called, by Noahs preaching. Repentance is neuer too late, to saue the soule from hell: but it may be too late to saue the body from a temporal iudgement. And this, I take it is, that that wee may safely hold: for it seemes too hard to condemne all the posterity of Methusalem, Henoch, Lamech, and other holy Patriarks (who, as the Text saith, begat sonnes and daughters) and to thinke, that none of them repented, when they saw the floud come indeede, as Noah had said. It cannot be, but they heard their Fathers preach: and why might not that preaching worke vpon their hearts, when the Iudgement came, though afore it did not? But why then did not God record in the Scripture, neither their repentance, nor saluation, but hath left it so doubtfull?
I answer; for the very same, for which he would not record Adams nor Solomons ▪ All for this cause, that he might teach all men to the worlds end, what a fearful thing it is to disobey his commandment, as Adam did: or to defer repentance when they are called by Gods word, as these men did. Therefore to fear us from the like, though afterwards they repented; it pleased God not to record it, but to ⟨p. 145⟩