A20762:1661
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 the Sacraments further us in godliness, as they are testifications of our service to God.
§. Sect. 2 That the Sacraments further vs in godlinesse, as they are testifications of our seruice to God.
Secondly, the Sacraments are helps unto us for this purpose, as they are solemn testifications of our service and obedience unto God, seeing they are his liveries and cognizances whereby his servants are known from others; and the sacramental oath which he causeth all his soldiers to take, when he entertaineth them into his spiritual warfare; and the pres-money which he putteth into their hands, whereby he obligeth and firmly bindeth them to continue constant in this warfare, and to fight courageously under his colours. Now this may move us to do faithful service unto our great Lord and Master, partly because he hath so ennobled us by giving us entertainment into his Family, and graced us, by letting us wear his livery and cognizance, seeing it is a far greater advancement and dignity, to be one of his meanest servants, even a doorkeeper in his House, then to be the greatest Monarch in the earth; partly 1because he encourageth us to faithful and diligent service by such bountiful wages and inestimable rewards; and partly because we shall otherwise dishonour our Lord and Master, & wear his livery to do him shame; ⟨p. 494⟩yea also disgrace our selves, whilst we do discover our gross hypocrisy, in not answering to our profession, nor performing such holy duties as are suitable unto it; whereby we shall move the Lord, in his just displeasure, to pull our liveries over our ears, and so uncasing us, to lay open our hypocrisy to our shame, and to turn us out of doors. This may move us also to fight courageously under his Standard, against the spiritual enemies of our salvation, seeing if we slip out of his Camp, after we have received this pres-money, and run away, we deserve death by our apostasy; or if we cowardly yield unto the assaults and tentations of our spiritual enemies, and do not fight valiantly, and perform faithful service to our grand-Captain, even unto the death, we are well worthy to be cashiered, to have no part in the glory of his victory, nor any portion of joy in his heavenly triumph.