A10945:237
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.
But to proceed: where these before mentioned are found,1 how can there be but unfeigned thankfulness, and acknowledging of this gift of God to his great praise, when we shall weigh what he hath done for our souls, and what solace he hath filled our lives withal, which otherwise must needs be full of deadness, or deceivable and unsavoury folly? They must of necessity work the same affections in us which were in the man of God, mentioned in the Psal. 116.12. What shall I give unto the Lord for all his mercies? I will praise his name before his congregation, and commit my self wholly to his government hereafter, who heretofore hath regarded me so graciously: yea and we shall be provoked daily, to this honouring of him, even to sing a new song of praises to him, §C2who will renew his kindness, and goodness daily upon us still: so that we shall say that his first receiving of us, was but the beginning of our happiness. So it shall follow, that our hearts being daily exercised in praise and thanksgiving, the more we do it, the more we shall see cause to do it still, and so shall wax thankful still in all that God sendeth, and so in all parts of our life, even in our troubles, as it is written, In all things be thankful. 3And although the world see none other cause, but to murmur and rage in their afflictions, yet shall we see Gods favour to us even in them, and knowing that they turn, as well as benefits, to our good; we shall praise God, even for them also: for it becometh well the righteous (who know how greatly they be occasioned hereto) §Dthus to be thankful. It is the love of God that constraineth us, and enlargeth our harts to Godward, and giveth us matter and occasion of singing and making melody to the Lord, and of praising him, alone, as well as in the assembly of the righteous: and no marvel (whereas without that sweet smell of his love, we should be utterly lumpish, and far from all cogitation of any such matter.) And I say, it is no marvel that continual and oft thinking on Gods kindness should make us thankful: for how serviceable, yea how slavish shall ye see a poor man to a benefactor to him in his bodily necessities, though it be but a little? when he can be content to lose his life for him,