A10945:207
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.
1But these men furnish not themselves with faith, a pure heart, a good conscience, change of their life, through the loving of God; but they let time end their grief of mind, and their wounds of conscience are healed outwardly with opinion that it is sufficient repentance, only to be sorrowful: some not abiding the gripes of grief, and yet not finding sound comfort against them, have cast them off, and therefore in affliction are from time to time vexed with the returning of them again, because they were never driven away §Gkindly, nor aright. If they shall further defend themselves this way, that they thought their course was good, to be thus cast down, seeing the law was preached to them, which constrained them thus to do: and if they will ask, why we preached the judgements of God to them, if we saw it not meet for them to be humbled?2 I answer: first, the law was never preached alone by any discreet teacher, who himself was skilful in the doing of his duty, but the Gospel with it. Secondly, the law was not, nor is not preached to hold men under, with the yoke of fear and bondage; but to cause men to see their sin more clearly:3 and thereby their punishment to be due; that so they might come to themselves in truth, and set more store by §HGods mercy, and Christs merits, which only can save their souls, and minister them comfort. Thirdly, we have not as from God approved, nor wished any to rest in any works of the law, or the best actions which they could do, when as yet they had no faith, nor persuasion of the remission of their sins, truly settled in them: but to haste from thence with all speed; and to try themselves both by rules and doctrine, as well as by their own experience,4 if Christ were in them, that so through him they might become acceptable. Now then if they have heard and received one part of our Ministry, and not the other: if they have placed happiness in the repentance, which they have fancied; and not in the knowledge of God through Christ, which §Iwe have urged; they have been deceived through the subtlety of the tempter: if they have sought to please God, for fear of his vengeance, and not because they have found deliverance from death, by his undeserved favour; they have laboured in vain, and been with-holden from the principal fruit of the Gospel preached.