A20762:158
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. 4 That God is the chief Author and efficient cause of saving knowledge.
§. Sect. 4 That God is the chiefe Author and efficient cause of sauing knowledge.
Seeing therefore knowledge is so necessary unto a godly life, we will a little further insist upon it, showing what it is, and the nature and properties of it, whereby we shall be the better able to labour after it in the use of all good means, and know to our comforts, when we have attained unto it. Saving knowledge then is a grace of God, wrought in us by his holy Spirit, which enlighteneth our minds, to know those things which are revealed of God and his will, by his Word and works, that we may make an holy use of it, for the sanctifying of our hearts, and direction of our lives, in all duties of holiness and righteousness. Whereby we may perceive, that not nature, but God only is the Author and efficient cause of this knowledge, and so much only do we know of God, as we are taught of God. According to that covenant of grace, in which God promiseth, that he 1will put his Law in our inward parts, and write it in our hearts, and that we shall know him from the least to the greatest. So our Saviour speaking of his Elect, saith, that they all shall be taught of God. And again; No man knoweth the 2Son but the Father, neither knoweth any man the Father but the Son, and he unto whomsoever the Son will reveal him. Neither is this knowledge a natural habit of the mind, but a grace of God, which is not purchased by us or our own merits, or therefore bestowed upon us rather then others, because God foresaw, that we would use it when we had it, better then they, but Gods free gift promised in the covenant of grace. The which he worketh