A09376:59
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.
and say with Job, 13. even in the very heat of thy temptation: O Lord, though thou kill this body and flesh of mine, yet will I trust in thee for everlasting life: yea, & though Gods anger should seem to increase, yet for all that take faster hold, and faint not; for faith will never fail thee: it will restore Gods love when it seems lost: it will set it before thine eyes, when it seems to be hid. For, mark well but this one reason; if faith will give life everlasting a being, and make it present to thy soul, which indeed yet never had being to thee: how much more can it give a being to Gods favour, and make it present to thy soul, which once had, & indeed hath still a being, and was never lost indeed, but only to a mans feeling? Thus, true faith is able to answer this temptation, whether it come, in life, or in the pangs of death.
and say with Iob, 13. euen in the very heate of thy temptation: O Lord, though thou kil this body and flesh of mine, yet will I trust in thee for euerlasting life: yea, & though Gods anger should seeme to encrease, yet for all that take faster hold, and faint not; for faith will neuer faile thee: it will restore Gods loue when it seemes lost: it wil set it before thine eyes, when it seemes to be hid. For, marke well but this one reason; if faith will giue life euerlasting a being, and make it present to thy soule, which indeede yet neuer had being to thee: how much more can it giue a being to Gods fauour, and make it present to thy soule, which once had, & indeed hath still a being, and was neuer lost indeede, but onely to a mans feeling? Thus, true faith is able to answer this temptaation, whether it come, in life, or in the pangs of death.
Fourthly, whereas faith is called an evidence: hence we learn, that the nature of faith stands not in doubting, but in certainty & assurance. The Romish doubting of the essence of faith, is as contrary to true faith, as darkness to light: for faith is an evidence of things hoped for, that is, it convinceth the judgement by unfallible arguments; knowing as certainly the truth of the promises, & of the things hoped for, as that God is God. But Rome will needs join faith & doubting, which in deed fight like fire and water, and can never agree together in every respect; but one will in the end destroy the other.