A10945:285
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.
1It is not a bare wandering desire to please God, which this precious faith, and assurance of salvation worketh: but it frameth also the man unto it, and teacheth him in some true and acceptable measure to go about it. The tidings §Gof this treasure appeared so glorious to Agrippa, being a King, and therefore acquainted with earthly felicity; and a Heathen, and therefore unfit to see very easily into spiritual things:2 yet this appeared so glorious tidings to him, when he heard it by Paul, not preaching in the pulpit, but standing a prisoner at the bar,3 that it caused him at the first to say: Thou hast almost persuaded me to become a Christian. And therefore he, who hath not only heard a sound of this heavenly news with his ears (which yet did weigh equally against a Princes kingdom in a Heathen mans judgement) but hath believed it to be his own, and that for ever: do we think, that any thing will be thought too dear for him,4 who hath freely given it him? And therefore §Hwhen I see one cursed man rail against the doctrine of Gods word, and his faithful servants: another to love the Christian life, but from teeth outward, and divers men diversly bewitched; but all of them to love darkness more then light, because their deeds are evil, Joh. 3.19. I marvel not at it: they do after their nature and kind. As they are not obedient to the will of God, so neither indeed can they be; who yet for all this, know not any cause why they should accuse themselves: but if they might see what kindness God offereth them, even to be made happy, and might believe the same, ye should see them changed, as sensible as ever was Saul, of a persecutor to become a preacher; so they of oppressors, merciful persons, and restorers of that which §Iwas ill gotten; and of profane, holy: and so to be converted, as that we might say of them, compared to the best servants of God, the lamb and the lion do eat together.