A10945:1193
Seven treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, leading…Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading…
Seven treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holy Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happiness, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianity. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learn how to lead a godly and comfortable life every day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.Seuen treatises containing such direction as is gathered out of the Holie Scriptures, leading and guiding to true happines, both in this life, and in the life to come: and may be called the practise of Christianitie. Profitable for all such as heartily desire the same: in the which, more particularly true Christians may learne how to leade a godly and comfortable life euery day. Penned by Richard Rogers, preacher of the word of God at Wethersfield in Essex.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1603
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.
And thus would God have Christians go to their work, and do all their ⟨p. 325⟩§Alawful business, not as hirelings, only in regard of their bellies. And this were a goodly and most beautiful sight to behold in all sorts, masters, servants, buyers, sellers, and even in the poor labourers; yea, cutters of wood, and drawers of water: and they that are of meanest place in families may live godly in them while religion rules their actions, and while they desire to do them as they are taught in the word of God.1 And they who go to work after this manner, may be merry at their work, and merry at their meat: and yet I mean not as the profane and earth-worms, who sometime are merry when they have more cause to be heavy, seeing neither they nor their §Bwork are pleasing to him; but the other may rejoice and be glad by Gods allowing, yea commanding it them, where he saith: Rejoice thou and thine, 2before the Lord thy God, in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. And again: Serve the Lord thy God (that is,3 in that thou art appointed by him to do) in joyfulness and with a good heart for the abundance of all things. And this is the mirth and joy of heart, which the Apostle willeth us to take our part in, saying: Speak to your selves in Psalms, and Hymns, and spiritual songs; singing, 4& making melody to the Lord in your hearts, with thanks for all things through Jesus Christ. In this sort hath God allowed his servants, who have learned and are resolved to obey him in all things, to rejoice, and go about their worldly §Caffairs; and in like manner, doth he allow them to use all their lawful liberties in this life: all which, he knoweth they have need of, to allay the tartness, and assuage the painfulness and grief which through their afflictions are infinite ways ready in all places to meet with them. And not to do lawful business and works thus, and with the three former rules set down, but as the unruly and disordered people of the world do them, is to make the lawfullest and excellentest callings base and mean, and to the persons themselves most hurtful while they stand forth against them as accusations, for that they have used them unlawfully, which in themselves are very honest and lawful: which I say, that I may answer the brutish and irreligious