A10945:779
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.
Oh how doth this communing with the Lord in secret, and debating with our selves about our mortality and corruption, and of his favour in vanquishing them; how (I say) doth this, as ointment mollify our hard hearts, and make them to relent, and doth relieve them pleasantly with the sweetness of it? How doth this estranging of our selves from worldly impediments, draw us into near and heavenly communion with our God? How doth it make us acquainted with the manifold rebellions of our nature? with our blindness, security, earthliness, and infinite other loathsome filthinesses,§H which neither we our selves will take knowledge of, while we carry our selves in many things as good Christians amongst men; neither any other (but such as do know it) would ever think, that so much poison could be enclosed in so narrow a room, as within the compass of one silly man.
Oh how doth this communing with the Lord in secret, and debating with our selues about our mortalitie and corruption, and of his fauour in vanquishing them; how (I say) doth this, as oyntment mollifie our hard hearts, and make them to relent, and doth relieue them pleasantly with the sweetnes of it? How doth this estraunging of our selues from worldly impediments, drawe vs into neare and heauenly communion with our God? How doth it make vs acquainted with the manifold rebellions of our nature? with our blindnes, securitie, earthlines, and infinit other loathsome filthinesses,§H which neither wee our selues will take knowledge of, while we carry our selues in many things as good Christians amongst men; neither any other (but such as doe know it) would euer thinke, that so much poyson could be inclosed in so narrow a roome, as within the compasse of one silly man.
1Oh the fruit and benefit, which by our meditation and private prayer we reap, is so great (the spirit of God changing our hearts thereby, from their daily course and custom more and more, and bringing the heavenly life into more liking with us, and making it more easy and sweet, which with the men of the world is so irksome and unsavoury) that none can well