A20762:151
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. 2 That saving knowledge is the prime virtue, and mother grace, from which all others have their beginning.
§. Sect. 2 That sauing knowledge is the prime vertue, and mother grace, from which all others haue their beginning.
The first main ground of a godly life, is saving knowledge, which is the prime virtue, and mother grace, from which all others take their beginning. It is the root of this tree of grace, from which, being effectual, lively, and full of spiritual sap, faith springeth (as it were) the main body of the tree, and from it all other virtues and graces, like the boughs and branches, and the profession and practice of Christianity in good works, and the duties of godliness, like the leaves and fruits, do proceed and grow. For first, we know God and his saving attributes, and then by faith we apprehend and believe them. And when by an effectual knowledge we conceive, & by a lively faith believe them, as that Jehovah who is our God, is infinite in all perfection; omnipotent, omniscient, ⟨p. 26⟩omnipresent, and all-sufficient, most good and gracious, most merciful and true, then do we trust in him, love him, and grow zealous of his glory, obey and serve him, praise and rejoice in him, and in all things submit our selves to his good pleasure. And so when we know and believe the former attributes, joined with his justice and hatred of sin, they work in our hearts the true fear of God, humility, and awful reverence; moving us to honour and worship him in spirit and truth, to embrace and practise all virtues and holy duties, because they are acceptable unto him, and to fly and forsake all vice and wickedness, because they are odious in his sight. So that saving knowledge, as the root, doth comprise in it the life and sap of all other graces, whereof it is, that in the Scriptures it is put for them all, and comprehendeth in it alone, all Religion, and the duties of godliness. Thus the Lord prohibiteth us to glory in our wisdom, strength, and riches; but let him that glorieth, glory in this, that he