A20762:208
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
Book 1 › Chapter 8 › Section 2: §. Sect. 2 That faith and a godly life are inseparable companions.
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 faith and a godly life are inseparable companions.
Faith therefore and a godly life are inseparable companions, being united together in the bond of love, which is stronger then death it self; 1and as a godly life cannot possibly be without faith, no more then the fruit without the tree, or a well-built house without a foundation, or breath without a living body: So neither can a lively faith be severed from a godly life. For being by faith assured of Gods love, we cannot choose but love him again, and approve our love by our new obedience. Being by faith ingrafted into Christ, and so become trees of righteousness, of Gods own planting, we cannot but bring forth good fruits; For as an evil tree 2cannot bring forth good fruit, so neither can a good tree bring forth evil fruit, seeing the fruit always followeth the nature of the tree. And as men do ⟨p. 42⟩not gather Grapes of thorns, nor Figs of thistles; so neither Crabs of Apple-trees, nor wild and sour grapes, of a good and fruitful vine. Finally, faith and the fruits of obedience in a godly life, are the one the cause, and the other the effect, which have such mutual relation, that they argue and prove, either the presence or absence one of another; as if there be a Father, there must needs be a child of which he is a father; and if there be a child, there must needs be a father of whom he is a child. If there be a Sun, there must needs be beams spreading from it; and if there be beams, there must needs be a Sun from which they are spread. If there be a living body, it must needs move and breathe, and if there be a vital breath, then must there needs be a living body from which it is breathed. And therefore as we may conclude that if there be no father, son nor body, there can be no child, beams nor breath; so where there is no faith, there can be no fruits of obedience, seeing these, as effects, do arise and spring from that cause. And contrariwise as we may infer, that if there be no child, beams or breath, there can be no father, light or body;