A09376:813
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 why did Abraham dwell in tents, and not in houses? was it because then there were no houses? Not so. For there were Cities built even afore the flood, Gen. 4.17▪ Cain built a City: no marvel therefore if there were many after, as Sodom and all her sisters. And though it appears not they digged into the earth for natural stone, yet had they Brick, which they made themselves, Genesis, 11.3: and surely, the world which built the huge tower of Babel, Gen. 11. would not stick to build themselves houses. Nor can it be said, that those Cities, Sodom, Gomorrah, and the rest, were nothing but a multitude of Tents together. For, we read Genes. 19.3. that Lot dwelling in Sodom, received 2. Angels into his house; and in the 4. verse, that the Sodomites came and environed his house round about to take them, thinking they had been men: ⟨p. 209⟩and when Lot refused to deliver them, that they pressed sore upon the house to have broken up the door: but all this might have bin spared, if it had bin nothing but a tent, which a child may cut in pieces with a knife. It is manifest then, that there were houses in those days. Why then did Abraham build none? was it because he was poor & could not? Nor so: for contrariwise, Gen. 12.5, He carried with him from his own country, all the substance he possessed: And what that was, is particularized, Gen. 13.2. He was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold. His riches were both great, & of the best. So then he could, but would not. But why would he not? Was it upon a proud humour, or in a conceited singularity, because he would not be like other men, but have a singular way of his own? No: Abraham was none of those, who allow nothing, but that that is done of themselves; and who think nothing good, if it be ordinary: for he was a holy man, and famous for his faith. So then none of these were the reasons of this his so doing.