A10945:1693
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 yet another cause why so little good hath been done,1 we may remember to have been, that we have looked so narrowly to the lives of others, to gather hurt thereby; not remembering that we should follow none further then they follow Christ: of which, some being of the better sort, and others of the common, we have taken exceeding great hurt by them both. For these §Elatter, when we see how they have many times continuance in outward peace and prosperity, so that they are merry, and take no thought about providing for the judgement day, neither are withholden from any intemperance of living; though we become not like unto them, yet as men not so fully persuading our selves of their misery,2 we begin to think that it is but vain for us, to labour greatly after innocency, & to shine as lights, which (we see) is little regarded. And so we grow to justify our own course of life, as very sufficient ⟨image 257⟩and well liking to the Lord: yea and besides this, we gather some rubbish §Fand scurf from them, by beholding, by dealing, and being too conversant with them. And if of these, some be less evil then others, and retain some points of honesty, and of better behaviour in them; yet what a gross bewitching of our selves is it, to compare our selves with those, of whose happiness we have no persuasion? Now as the lives of this bad sort of men are laid too near us, & we may see that we are weakened in our course by them: so the lives of the first sort, even right good men, we either little or not at all do profit by; or (that which more is) we many times take hurt by them.
And yet another cause why so litle good hath bene done,1 we may remember to haue bene, that we haue looked so narrowly to the liues of others, to gather hurt thereby; not remembring that we should follow none further then they follow Christ: of which, some being of the better sort, and others of the common, we haue taken exceeding great hurt by them both. For these