A10945:1702
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.
So that as by the Romans law, it was strictly enacted: that their springs should be carefully preserved from all filth which might attaint and poison them, that their rivers and water conduits might be sweet and wholesome: so it must necessarily be, that the heart of man being once renewed and made clean, it should be kept and continued so; that being a good treasury, good things may be brought out of it continually of all sorts, as occasion shall require. ⟨p. 488⟩§AFor here we take it as granted, that all which shall have their part in this covenant, or have already desired to have, must be renewed in their minds, and have their hearts purged and made clean by faith in the Son of God; whereby their sins may be defaced and all their old conversation pardoned, their souls through the same with most comfortable and sound peace enlightened; and so their hearts purified, both to will and also to live well and godly. Of the which making clean and purging the heart, as this is no fit place to speak: so they must have learned it and have attained to it who are here mentioned, that is, such as have covenanted unfeignedly to watch and observe the same. Therefore (to return) seeing the heart is a deep dungeon §Band pit, full of all unclean thoughts, and yet deceiving men; so that they shall think far otherwise, and suspect no such thing (as 1. King. 15.8.) seeing in all their actions some one or other portion of it is ready to corrupt and stain even the best of them, so that not the holiest parts of Gods worship can purely and holily be fulfilled without the careful holding in of it: it is worthily and for just cause, made one part of this wholesome remedy of the well ordering of our lives. So that, if any be given to seek the liberty which God hath not allowed him, to let loose his heart after any folly and vanity, and counteth it too great straitness and precise curiousness to keep a dominion and a superiority over it, so as he might thereby bring it into subjection; he is justly §Cto be pitied, if he cannot be otherwise persuaded: but if he think that way to build up a godly life, until the Lord call back his word (which now standeth for a perfect direction of well living) he shall never attain to that which he seeketh.