A10945:296
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.
1Therefore if any believe to be saved, let them believe also that they shall be sanctified (for with one and the same faith we believe both) and that they shall receive grace from God to bring forth fruits of amendment of life, and that they shall be made able by him through the hearing of the holy Scriptures, to cast off their old conversation. This faith much availeth to the furthering of the dear children of God in a godly course, even at their first coming unto God, as it doth always after, to live by it. And although God §Kby the same spirit regenerateth them, by the which he assureth them of their adoption: yet is it wrought in them much more hardly, and in greater fear, when they do not first know and be persuaded in their judgements, that it shall be so. And though it can be but weak in any, at their first conversion to God,2 yet shall they sooner wade through their doubts, and grow out of their fear, if they have this faith as a foundation to uphold them, and encourage ⟨p. 81⟩§Athem to go about it: But otherwise, they shall faint and fear oft times, and be without hope (nothing is more clear then this, if we observe it in weak christians.) And thus must they be persuaded also concerning all blessing, good success, deliverance out of troubles, or patience and meekness to bear them, as well as to believe the forgiveness of sins: and finally, whatsoever God saith in his word, either the forbidding of any sin, or the requiring of any duty, they are bound to believe it as the truth of God; to depend upon it, and to be built upon it: and to trust him upon his bare word,3 and to suffer themselves to be led by it (and that because it is his word) having in them always a settled purpose to do so: and this is called by the Apostle, the obedience §Bof faith. For they must be resolved of this, that to whom God gives Christ, to them also he gives all things needful for this life, and the life to come, in and by Christ.