A09376:875
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.
If this be so, then how is heaven to be sought for? Behold here a goodly city, a city of God (whereof, London, Paris, Rome, Venice, nay Jerusalem, are scarce shadows) the true Jerusalem, the joy of the whole earth; nay the joy of the world, and the glory of all Gods creatures, made immediately with the hand, and built with the skill and cunning of God himself. The Princes of the world, & even of Rome it self, wondered at the beauty, and were amazed at the magnificence of Jerusalems city & Temple; & yet it was but a type and figure hereof. For, that had indeed, the glory of the world upon her: But the new Jerusalem hath the glory of God upon her, Reu. 21.4.
If this bee so, then how is heauen to bee sought for? Behold here a goodly citie, a citie of God (whereof, London, Paris, Rome, Venice, nay Ierusalem, are scarce shadowes) the true Ierusalem, the ioy of the whole earth; nay the ioy of the world, and the glory of all Gods creatures, made immediately with the hand, and built with the skill and cunning of God himselfe. The Princes of the world, & euen of Rome it selfe, wondred at the beauty, and were amazed at the magnificence of Ierusalems city & Temple; & yet it was but a type and figure hereof. For, that had indeed, the glory of the world vpon her: But the new Ierusalem hath the glory of God vpon her, Reu. 21.4.
Shall we then seek to dwell in the cities of this world, and not labour to come to heaven? Are they any way excellent, wherein heaven is not much more to be desired? Are they beautiful, and is not it the beauty of the world? Read the 21. chapter of the Revelation, and suppose that the beauty of it were but outward, and worldly, and sensible to humane capacity; yet is it far more excellent, than ever any was in this world. And is not there the ⟨p. 234⟩company of the deity, of Christs humanity, of the holy Angels, and all good men? And is not there abundance of whatsoever belongs to perfect happiness? And is not there freedom from the devil, sin, and death? And is it not the Court of God, the King of glory? Then why do we not sigh and groan, and long to be free-men of this glorious city? And though we cannot come to it, as long as we live in this world; yet why do we not strive to come as near it as may be? In this world, when a man cannot dwell in the heart of a City, yet he will rather dwell in the suburbs, than he will not be near it; and being there, he knows he can soon steppe into the city. So let us in this life come as near heaven as we may; let us get into the suburbs and dwell there.