A10945:1765
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.
Oh weigh what an exceeding privilege this is, that both prayer and practise §Fof duty whereto we were sometime not untoward only but even rebellious against it, should willingly be taken in hand now, and become pleasure in stead of deadly toil? yea, what a freedom and liberty is it, that we should make it our trade to aim at the serving of God in all things, so far as our knowledge serveth us? And as the godly way is become easy to them and daily regarded of them, after that it once waxeth pleasant to them: even so their old delights, I mean the lusts of their ignorance, grow loathsome, which they once thought impossible. And yet concerning rebellion and contradiction,1 they are not void of them for all their liberty and enlargement; but §Gare holden captives thereof in great part against their will, as shall be said afterwards (for else they should have their heaven here, which may not be:) but as they espy it, they give it no rest, but with hearty mislike, they oppose themselves and fight against it: and because they have sweetness and pleasure in in the Christian life, therefore the gainsaying lusts, which rebel against that course, and strive to hold them from it, are neither so forcible as they have been; neither do so long time, as they were wont, hold them under.
Oh weigh what an exceeding priuiledge this is, that both praier and practise §Fof duty whereto we were sometime not vntoward onely but euen rebellious against it, should willingly be taken in hand now, and become pleasure in stead of deadly toile? yea, what a freedome and liberty is it, that we should make it our trade to aime at the seruing of God in all things, so farre as our knowledge serueth vs? And as the godly way is become easie to them and daily regarded of them, after that it once waxeth pleasant to them: euen so their old delights, I meane the lusts of their ignorance, grow loathsome, which they once thought impossible. And yet concerning rebellion and contradiction,1 they are not void of them for all their liberty and inlargement; but §Gare holden captiues thereof in great part against their will, as shall be said afterwards (for else they should haue their heauen heere, which may not be:) but as they espy it, they giue it no rest, but with hearty mislike, they oppose themselues and fight against it: and because they haue sweetnesse and pleasure in in the Christian life, therefore the gainesaying lusts, which rebell against that course, and striue to hold them from it, are neither so forceable as they haue beene; neither doe so long time, as they were wont, hold them vnder.