A10945:1881
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.
1Besides this, all such as in whom the Lord maketh his word to take root, framing their hearts to be good and honest to receive the same into them, and so to be fit to all Christian duties;2 they through patience continue and hold the confidence and rejoicing of their hope unto the end, (even as the good ground yieldeth her harvest in due season:) when in the mean while, sundry give over, recoil and faint, who seemed for a time to be as forward as the best. And to conclude these reasons: what is he amongst the people of God, who for any long time hath had proof of Gods fatherly kindness, in granting him increase of knowledge, faith, peace of conscience, and the like, but in his first entrance into the Christian course he thought it wonderfully §Iunlike, that he should ever attain to any such measure of the gifts of God as he now enjoyeth? nay, it seemed unto him utterly impossible. And yet being nourished up by the Lord under a good diet,3 and once learning to know by what helps and means he doth cause his to go forward, he hath grown up to settledness and constancy, he hath found much liberty and ease (as I may say) in the true worshipping of God: even so, it seemeth not a small matter (doubtless) to any of Gods faithful servants when they deeply consider of it, to think that they shall pass safely through all temptations and tribulations, especially seeing they find within themselves many wants and weaknesses, many fears and likelihoods of fainting and giving over; and do §Ksee without them, sundry discouragements, allurements, persuasions, threatenings, and both by the devil and world, many hinderances from going still forward: I say, it seemeth not an easy and small matter to them, to think, that they shall see a good end of their conflicting days; yea surely it may be truly affirmed, that they who are not troubled about this or have not been, never made any good beginning. But yet when Gods children set a deep and due ⟨p. 551⟩§Aconsideration of the mighty power of God against their own timorousness and frailty, and against the strength of the devil and world; again,