A20762:1255
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. 8 Comforts arising from the good issue of all our afflictions.
And thus we may comfort our selves with present consolations whilst we endure the cross. Besides which, there are others which arise from their issue and end, and from our assurance which we have of our deliverance out of our afflictions, in that time which is most fit & seasonable for Gods glory and our salvation; seeing we have his promise for it, who is faithful and true, good and gracious unto all that trust in him. And in the mean time he is present with us to hear, help, and relieve us, who is most wise and all-sufficient, taking notice of all our troubles, and knowing how to deliver us in due time. Now if the Lord for causes best known to himself, deferreth to hear, help, and deliver us, we must wait his leisure, and use all good means to strengthen our faith, hope, and patience, by meditating on his gracious promises, and on their truth and infallibility, on his infinite wisdom, which knoweth better then we when our deliverance is most seasonable, and his omnipotent power and all sufficiency, whereby he is able to effect it when he pleaseth. By considering also that God usually deferreth to help those, whom he hath most strengthened in grace, and who are most dear unto him, but never wholly failed to perform his promises at last to those who have waited upon him. Finally, that he deferreth to deliver us for the furthering of our eternal good and salvation; and that he waiteth upon us to save and deliver us in the fittest time; and therefore there is great reason that we should wait upon him. And these are the 1means for the strengthening of our faith, hope, and patience, when God deferreth to deliver us, which respect himself and his dealing with us; besides which there are others that respect our selves, which is, first that we often renew our repentance, without which, we can have no hope of help and deliverance. Secondly, that we renew our faith in Gods promises, the which is the condition of the Covenant of grace between God & us, whereby he hath assured us of them. Thirdly, that we humbly submit our selves to Gods good pleasure, which is one main end why God correcteth us, unto which when he hath attained, he will cease his chastisements, & deliver us from our afflictions. Fourthly, that we trust in God at all times, both in the presence, & absence of inferior means. Fifthly, we must be frequent & fervent in Prayer;