A20762:1251
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.
§. Sect. 7 That all the faithful have been partakers of the like, or greater afflictions with us.
§. Sect. 7 That all the faithfull haue been partakers of the like, or greater afflictions with vs.
And these are the comforts which arise out of a simple consideration of our afflictions; besides which, there are others which may be raised by comparing our lesser afflictions, with those greater which others have & shall suffer. For as the Scriptures foretell these afflictions of the faithful, so they show that it hath always been their portion to bear them; yea, look for the most part how much they have excelled in Gods graces, and so much they have exceeded in the measure of their afflictions, as we may observe in the examples of Adam, Abel, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Job, David, Paul, and many others. But especially we may comfort our selves in our greatest afflictions, by considering how light and small they are, in comparison of those grievous punishments, which Christ the Son of Gods love did suffer for us both in his life and death. All which he suffered being just & innocent, for our sins, leaving us an example who are his members, to follow his steps in the same way that leadeth to happiness; seeing God hath preordained those to be like Christ in his sufferings, who shall be like unto him in glory. ⟨p. 363⟩Finally, we may comfort our selves, by comparing our afflictions with the punishments of the wicked, from which Christ hath freed us; seeing theirs are intolerable, but ours light & easy; theirs everlasting, but ours short and momentany; notwithstanding that our own consciences will tell us, that our sins, both in their quantity and quality, number and weight, have much exceeded many of theirs. And lastly, by comparing them with our future joys and heavenly happiness, in which respect the Apostle telleth, that the afflictions