A09376:817
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.
The Holy or religious respect was this: They held them selves but strangers upon earth, & therefore would not build themselves cities or houses; as looking or caring to live upon ⟨p. 210⟩earth; but dwelled in tents, as seeming desirous, to remove from the earth to heaven; the sooner the better. And this did the Fathers of the old Testament: not that they thought it unlawful to build cities, or dwell in houses; but that they might testify their religion, and their expectation of another world, in the midst of that profane age wherein they lived: wherein there were almost none, that either regarded, remembered, or acknowledged, a world to come.
The Holy or religious respect was this: They held thē selues but strangers vpon earth, & therfore would not build themselues cities or houses; as looking or caring to liue vpon ⟨p. 210⟩earth; but dwelled in tents, as seeming desirous, to remoue from the earth to heauen; the sooner the better. And this did the Fathers of the old Testament: not that they thoght it vnlawfull to build cities, or dwell in houses; but that they might testifie their religion, and their expectation of another world, in the midst of that profane age wherein they liued: wherein there were almost none, that either regarded, remembred, or acknowledged, a world to come.
And this was not the particular, or singular deed of Abraham alone. All holy men in those days, lived in tents. Gen. 9.21, It is clear that Noah dwelt in tents, though then he was king of all the world. And so did Lot also, as long as he lived with Abraham: Gen. 13.5, Lot h•d sheep, and cattle, and tents. And thus they did, because (as the Apostle saith) they had here no enduring city, but they sought for one to come.