A09376:849
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.
For the first: Heavenly Jerusalem hath a foundation, such a one▪ as no city in this world hath: & by this phrase, the holy Ghost insinuates unto us, what be the properties of heaven; which be two: 1. The state of heaven is unchangeable. 2. Everlasting and eternal.
For the first: Heauenly Ierusalem hath a foundation, such a one▪ as no city in this world hath: & by this phrase, the holy Ghost insinuates vnto vs, what be the properties of heauen; which be two: 1. The state of heauen is vnchangeable. 2. Euerlasting and eternall.
First, the state of the Elect in heaven, & their glory there, is not subject to corruption, or the least alteration; as appeareth in that notable and lofty description of the heavenly Jerusalem, Apoc. 21.14, and from the 10. verse, to the 21: It hath a great wall and high, 12. gates, 12. Angels for Porters: and the wall had 12. foundations, of 12. sorts of most excellent precious stones: and the wall it self was Jasper, and the city pure gold, like crystal. The state of it is shadowed by precious stones, and gold; to signify, as well the durableness, as the excellency thereof. And in the 15. Psalm, vers. 1. it is called the mountain of Gods holiness: Hills are hardly removed; and therefore David saith, that Mount Zion cannot be removed but remaineth for ever, Psal. 125.1. Now, if that be true of Mount Zion, in this world; which must needs be taken either literally, for the state of the visible Church, which cannot be utterly overthrown: or mystically, for the state of Gods grace, which in this world cannot totally & finally be lost: I say, if this Mount Zion standeth fast, and cannot be removed; how much more true i• it, of the state of glory in heaven, and of the triumphant Church, and of heavenly Zion; that it is so unchangeable, so durable, so unremovable that it cannot be shaken, but standeth fast for ever. And in this respect, well may the Apostle say here, It hath a foundation; which the holy Ghost in the Revelation saith, to have 12. foundations.