A10945:389
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.
These and such others, I think, God gave him as privileges,1 which were mere arrogance and ostentation for any man among us to dream of, or compare with him in: seeing our sufferings (to speak of them who have sustained the greatest afflictions for the Gospel in our age) have bin small: and §Dthe other things mentioned to have bin showed him, are more extraordinary: but to have our minds and hearts so cleansed, & purged from the strength of corrupt lusts, as I have said, to have no fellowship with them: and when they are kindled in us, to have grace and strength ordinarily, and usually against them, and to see and know how to avoid them;2 it is so far off from arrogance to think that it should be so, that it is far unbeseeming the gravity and age of fathers in Christ, and strong Christians, not to have it so. So that as ancient men, who have lived long, are called fathers for their age, skill,3 and experience: so these for their time and long continuance in Christs school are called fathers; and therefore ought to have wisdom and knowledge, how §Eto walk thorough the world (though a wilderness) in safety: how to withstand the devil in his assaults (though subtle) and skilful also in their course and carriage of themselves, how to be patterns of good life unto the younger sort. 4And thus they having their minds established with grace, and unburdened of such affections and thoughts, they may rightly, and in good sort, go about their works and dealings: as labouring, bargaining, journeying, companying, serving their prince, and doing any other lawful actions; and yet ⟨p. 118⟩not be distempered by them: which things for want of such a well ordered §Fmind, no other men can do, as by the complaints of the better sort may be seen, and by experience of the bad sort is perceived, and daily found. And this for the highest degree, and greatest measure of grace in Gods children.