A09432:1256
A godly and learned exposition of Christs Sermon in the Mount
A godly and learned exposition of Christs Sermon in the Mount: preached in Cambridge by that reverend and judicious divine M. William Perkins. Published at the request of his executors by Th. Pierson preacher of Gods word. Whereunto is adjoined a twofold table: one, of special points here handled; the other, of choice places of Scripture here quotedA godly and learned exposition of Christs Sermon in the Mount: preached in Cambridge by that reuerend and iudicious diuine M. William Perkins. Published at the request of his exequutors by Th. Pierson preacher of Gods word. Whereunto is adioyned a twofold table: one, of speciall points here handled; the other, of choise places of Scripture here quoted
Cambridge : Printed by Thomas Brooke and Cantrell Legge, printers to the University of Cambridge, 1608Cambridge : Printed by Thomas Brooke and Cantrell Legge, printers to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge, 1608
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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 third and fourth things to be considered, are touching dogs and ⟨p. 439⟩swine; where these three points are to be handled: I. What are here properly meant by dogs and swine: II. Who must give judgement of men to be dogs and swine: and III. Where they are to be found. For the first: By dogs and swine, we must understand the enemies of Gods word; yet not all enemies, for so every sinner should be a dog & a swine: but only such as are malicious obstinate enemies, manifestly convicted1 of their enmity to Gods word & doctrine, of whose amendment there is no hope. And that these are here to be understood, appears by these reasons: I. From the text it self, which describeth them by this, that treading the words of instruction under foot, they do turn again, and all-to-rend the Teachers thereof: that is, they do persecute them both by word and deed, in all reproachful speeches, & cruel actions. II. Reason. In the word of God we shall find that Christ and his Apostles preached to dogs (for such are all men by nature:) The Scribes and Pharisees, a generation of Vipers came to Johns baptism unrepelled, though not unreproved: Matth. 3. 6, 7. and Christ himself telleth the woman of Canaan, that it was not lawful to give the children's bread to dogs: that is, to2 the Gentiles; and yet he sent his disciples to preach to all nations: & the woman her self, by reason of her faith, was received to mercy, & made partaker of the crumbs that fell from the children's table. Again, our Saviour Christ preached to the Scribes and Pharisees, even then when he wept over Jerusalem for their impenitency; yea, this is a truth, that because men are naturally dogs and swine, therefore they must have the word of God preached unto them, to purify and sanctify them, unless they be obstinate and irrepentant enemies to the word, of whom is no hope of recovery. III. Reason. These obstinate enemies here are called dogs and swine, by allusion to unclean beasts under the law; of which sort were dogs & swine, which were prohibited the Jews to be eaten, or offered in sacrifice to God: Christ therefore here by allusion to that ceremony, means such persons as are excluded from the holy things of the Lord, and have no right or interest into the Lords word or sacraments; such as both in heart and life be unclean as hogs and dogs, & will not be purified. IV. Reason.