A20762:1229
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the dutiesA guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties
A guide to godliness or a Treatise of a Christian life showing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helps enabling & the reasons persuading unto it the impediments hindering the practise of it, and the best means to remove them whereunto are added divers prayers and a treatise of carnal security by John Douname Bachelor in Divinity and minister of Gods Word.A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.
London: printed by Felix Kingstone and William Stansby for Ed, 1622
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.
CAP. XXXV.
How we ought to behave our selves in the estate of affliction, so as we may profit thereby in all saving graces.
How we ought to behaue our selues in the estate of affliction, so as we may profit thereby in all sauing graces.
§. Sect. 1 What afflictions are, and the divers kinds of them.
§. Sect. 1 What afflictions are, and the diuers kinds of them.
But adversity and afflictions take up no less a part of the Christian mans life, seeing there is no day passeth, which bringeth 1not with it some crosses and miseries; Man being borne unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward. In which respect, it is necessary that we add some directions for the well-carrying of our selves in this estate. By afflictions, I understand all miseries incident unto this life, which are the fruits of sin, and sent of God, either as punishments upon the wicked, to satisfy the justice of a severe Judge, or as chastisements inflicted upon the faithful, by the hand of a gracious Father, for their correction and amendment. All things also which cross our desires, and do molest and grieve us, either in their own nature, or in our opinion and conceit, which are as innumerable in their multitude, and intolerable in their supposed weight, as those which are so in deed and truth. Afflictions that have some true existence, are of divers kinds; first, public, as wars, plague, famine, ill government in Magistrates, rebellion and disobedience in subjects, open persecution for the profession of the Truth, suppressing of the Ministry, and the light of the Gospel and such like. Secondly, such as fall out in societies between us and others; as unfaithful dealing and fraudulent courses, used by those who commerce with us, wrongs and oppressions, hard censures and ill reports, discourtesy and unkindness from neighbours and friends, with many others of like nature. Thirdly, such as are domesticall and in our own families; as disobedience and unruliness, unthriftiness and untowardness; want of love and duty in our children; crossness and frowardness, riot and wastefulness, negligence and unfaithfulness in servants, ill success in our worldly business, damage and hurt in household commodities and the rest. Finally, such as are personal, as sores and sicknesses, poverty and want of necessaries, exile, imprisonment, shame, contempt, loss of goods or friends, with innumerable others which are daily incident to the life of man.