A09376:602
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.
I answer: Here we grant all, if they speak the words of the Scripture, in the sense of the Scripture; for Christ was a true and reputed sinner, in the sight of Gods Justice: as he that becomes surety for another, is a debtor in his room: or as he that undertakes for a man, body for body, must answer for him, his own body for his: so in all reason and justice, Christ, though he had no sins of his own, yet being our surety, and undertaking for us, and standing in our stead, our sins are justly accounted his. And as for these places, & many more like, they are all understood of personal sins; from all which, and the least contagion thereof, he was perfectly free. And therefore the same place that saith, He knew no sin (that is, in & for his own person, knew not what sin was) saith also, that for us & in our stead, he was made even sin it self, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Thus Christ, in himself more righteous then all men & Angels, In our stead is a reputed sinner: and by the same reason, we (most unrighteous in our selves) are clothed with Christs righteousness, and thereby are reputed righteous. And as Christ (though no sinner in himself) by being a sinner in our ⟨p. 160⟩stead, and having our sins imputed unto him, became subject to the wrath of God, and bare it, even to death it self: So we, though not righteous of our selves, yet having Christs righteousness imputed to us, are made thereby partakers of Gods love; and for the worthiness of that righteousness of his, so made ours, shall be glorified in heaven. And thus, now at last we have found that true, and that only righteousness, which can make a man as it did Noah, righteous in Gods sight. Now it remains to make use of it.
I answer: Here we graunt all, if they speake the words of the Scripture, in the sense of the Scripture; for Christ was a true and reputed sinner, in the sight of Gods Iustice: as hee that becomes surety for another, is a debter in his roome: or as he that vndertakes for a man, body for body, must answer for him, his owne body for his: so in all reason and iustice, Christ, though hee had no sinnes of his owne, yet being our surety, and vndertaking for vs, and standing in our steade, our sinnes are iustly accounted his. And as for these places, & many more like, they are all vnderstood of personall sins; from all which, and the least contagion thereof, he was perfectly free. And therefore the same place that saith, He knew no sin (that is, in & for his owne person, knew not what sinne was) saith also, that for vs & in our stead, he was made euen sin it selfe, that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him. Thus Christ, in himselfe more righteous then all men & Angels, In our steade is a reputed sinner: and by the same reason, we (most vnrighteous in our selues) are clothed with Christs righteousnesse, and thereby are reputed righteous. And as Christ (though no sinner in himselfe) by being a sinner in our