A10945:467
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
Treatise 2 › Chapter 12: Of the keeping of the heart once purged, in it good plight afterward.
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 the heart may meditate, §Erejoice, praise, and pray at all seasons, and upon all occasions, if once it hath gotten a pleasure in them, for it shall never want occasion. And if we can obtain to have God in our remembrance more usually then we were wont, or then others desire to do, and spend our thoughts and set our delight on him: shall we think any thing too good for him? should we not constantly take up our hearts in heavenly cogitations, as we are willed, Col. 3.2. when we see, that all other are but vanity and vexation of spirit? If it ⟨p. 146⟩pleaseth him to ask our hearts, as he doth, when he saith, My son give me §Fthine heart: 1should we not think our selves happy that he will take any thing at our hands,2 when David being a King, wished that he had any thing that would please him?3 This taking up of our delight in the looking to our hearts, as we are able, should the more be sought after of us, if it were but for this cause, that if we have not rule over them in our common actions thorough our life, we cannot have them at commandment in the chief services of God. And from hence it is, that christians of good hope, do complain,4 and that oftentimes with bitterness, that their hearts are so swarming usually with vain thoughts, even whiles they are in hearing and praying: the reason is, because at other times they are usually so occupied throughout §Gthe day, feeding upon their delights, that God is almost wholly out of their remembrance, especially to direct and lead their hearts: and therefore also their actions, and speeches are much offensive in lightness, rashness, and unreverence: The which being common with them in the daily course of their life, they cannot possibly have them otherwise at hearing or praying. All which yet are contrarily done, when the strength of concupiscence, I mean, the corruption of the heart (which is without measure evil) is mortified and assuaged first;