A10945:329
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.
1And this change of the heart, they have need to be persuaded of, who §Kdesire to live christianly (which shall be no hard matter for them to prove, if they compare themselves with that which I said, about this matter, and find it so with them) but otherwise they shall but coldly go about any service of God whatsoever: this pure heart (I say) coming from faith unfeigned, must be as a strong foundation laid in them, upon which only a godly life can be builded, that they may not need to fear, that they are of a double heart: for ⟨p. 95⟩§AGod abhorreth that in his service, and doth not accept the heart by halves, nor to be served by halves, as Saul did, 1. Sam. 15.3. but will have the whole to be given unto him. He will not be loved a little:2 for that is neither beseeming his greatness, neither fit for them to offer, who receive so great good things at his hands. And as none can do this, but such as shall see sufficient cause hereof; namely, that they are infinitely indebted to him for his bountifulness towards them; so will he, that such shall make him their chiefest delight, and treasure, as other do the world; and therefore to account it no tediousness, nor toil to labour for it, till they have obeyed the voice which saith,3 Give me thine heart, my son. And if all men did at the first embracing of the Gospel, §Bthus give their hearts wholly to the Lord (as all they do who unfeignedly believe in him) then should we see it a common thing to have God honoured in the world, his true religion, and worship advanced, and there should be no such difficulty to pull men out of their filthy and sinful lives, but they should be as ready to seek it, as the godliest Preacher is, in Gods name to urge and require it. But seeing that will not be, let them, which see better, what the infiniteness of Gods favour is towards them,4