A10945:625
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.
And if these things be well weighed, which have been said of this matter, it shall not be marvelled at, that the Prophet thus speaketh in the Psalm: §DGlorious things are spoken of thee, O thou city of God! Yea glorious indeed,1 as we here enjoy them (though we have but a small part of our glory in this life) and so glorious, that if they could be seen with eye, they would so inflame men with the beauty of them, that they would force them to set all their love upon them. And thus by the graces, which are in the life of Gods servants, and which are not to be found in other men, it may be seen, how God is honoured of them; the contrary whereof, is done most apparently by the ungodly, as much as lieth in them. Therefore to conclude this first reason, except we can like to see Gods name ill spoken of, his Gospel lightly accounted of, and his person dishonoured, and that by our selves (the §Erecompense whereof cannot be borne nor abidden of us) let us not only come out from the unclean conversation of the unbelievers, but let us so lay hold on eternal life, that we press hard unto the mark, for the price that is set before us, and let the words of the wise be as goads to prick us forward, 2out of our slothfulness; and as nails to fasten us jointly and closely to Christ our head without hypocrisy, that we faint not neither fall away, but grow up unto the perfect age of Christians: that so we may give good testimony that God is truly honoured ⟨p. 194⟩of us, when our conversation shall be such, as his word layeth forth §Fto us.
And if these things be well weighed, which haue been said of this matter, it shall not be marueiled at, that the Prophet thus speaketh in the Psalme: §DGlorious things are spoken of thee, O thou citie of God! Yea glorious indeede,1 as we here inioy them (though we haue but a small part of our glorie in this life) and so glorious, that if they could be seene with eye, they would so inflame men with the beautie of them, that they would force them to set all their loue vpon them. And thus by the graces, which are in the life of Gods seruants, and which are not to be found in other men, it may be seene, how God is honoured of them; the contrarie whereof, is done most apparently by the vngodly, as much as lyeth in them. Therefore to conclude this first reason, except we can like to see Gods name ill spoken of, his Gospell lightly accounted of, and his person dishonoured, and that by our selues (the