A10945:95
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, men shun this as death (and yet without believing it there is no §Ilife) for did they believe it personally for their own parts, they could not but lay it to heart: so as the whole powers thereof should be taken up with the cogitation of it (as it is with us at the sudden hearing of heavy news) yea all the powers of the mind and heart would be affected with it, even as a man is by the sting of an Adder, or when he is pricked with the point of a sword: so (I say) it is with him that doth unfeignedly believe his own misery, without exception casting away all deluding conceits which might hinder it: such a sudden alteration it shall work in him, how far off so ever he was before that from it.1 And that is lively set forth in the example of the three thousand that were converted at Peters sermon: who for their estate §Kbefore, had been of them that crucified Christ, and even at that present time were mockers and railers at the Apostles, saying, they were drunken with new wine: yet when on the sudden the Lord arrested them by his word and challenge, and with his spiritual sword, by Peters skilful handling the same, had wounded and stricken them (so as they could not scape nor resist the power and stroke of it) they were pricked in their harts, as if an arrow had pierced ⟨p. 11⟩§Atheir liver, crying out immediately, that the pain which they felt within them was intolerable: which they expressed in their words when they made their moan even unto them whom they had so lately railed upon; now speaking with new tongues (which is admirable) Men and brethren, what shall we do? Even thus in some sort doth the Lord work, when he maketh them to give credit to this his thundering voice by his law arraigning men for their sins: which is no less fearful to them then the roaring of a lion, when yet other men, whose sins are as great, and have as good cause to be feared, and to faint under the burden of them, are not a whit moved thereat: not moved, I say, through the commonness of it, any more then the §Bfowls are afraid of the scar-crow, after they have been long accustomed to it, who in time dare sit upon the head of it, and pluck straws out of the very nose thereof.