A09432:227
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.
Seventhly, our Saviour Christ in this property of immutability,1 giveth unto the whole Law, and unto every syllable and letter thereof, his proper force, virtue, and sense; so as there is nothing in it, not so much as one letter vain or idle: for every commandment reveals the perfect justice of God, and every letter serves to express the same commandment. And herein the Law of God differeth from mens laws; for in them be many vain and idle words, yea oftentimes ⟨p. 77⟩whole sentences; but in the law of God it is not so: Prou. 8. 8. All the words of my mouth are righteous, there is no lewdness nor frowardness in them: yea, the Law of the Lord qis perfect, his statutes are right, and his judgements true and righteous altogether. Now the consideration3 of this integrity and perfection of the law, and word of God, must move us to study the Scriptures with great diligence; so saith our Saviour Christ, rSearch the Scriptures: that is, shake and sift them (as the word signifieth) search narrowly, till the true force and meaning of every sentence, yea of every word and syllable; nay, of every letter and jot therein, be known and understood; confer place with place, the scope of one place with another, things going before with things that come after; yea, compare word with word, letter with letter, and search it throughly. This manner of studying the Scripture is most necessary, as being the thing▪ indeed, which preserveth and upholdeth the Church of God, and the purity of religion; for about four or five hundred years agone, men left off to study the Bible, after this sort, and betook themselves to the writings of men, occupying their wits wholly in vain quiddities in Philosophy; and in hid mysteries of Divinity: by which means it came to pass▪ that Popery and Apostasy from the truth, spread it self over the world, for many hundred years together. Afterward, God of his mere mercy, put into the hearts of some men, to be careful searchers in the word of God, by which means the truth appeared, as light out of darkness. Thus God stirred up Luther about the year of our Lord