A20762:2227
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. 3 The third reason, taken from Gods decree of our election.
The fruits also and effects of Gods Love towards us, do serve as strong arguments to move us unto a godly life. As first, his decree of election, whereby from all eternity he hath chosen us in Christ, out of the corrupt mass of mankind, unto eternal life and happiness, and ⟨p. 682⟩unto all the means which may bring us unto it. What greater mercy can be imagined, then that God of his free grace should choose us in Christ, who were utterly lost in Adam, dead in our sins, and the children of wrath as well as others, not unto some mean estate or low degree of happiness, but to the highest & greatest privileges, as to be his own peculiar people, and servants of his own family, yea, to be his adopted children & coheirs with Christ, not of some earthly patrimony, or worldly kingdom, which though it were never so great and glorious, yet is it mutable and momentary, but of an heavenly 1inheritance, which is incorruptible, undefiled, and fadeth not away, as the Apostle speaketh? The which benefit will be much amplified, if we consider his infinite Majesty and Glory, who hath thus chosen us; and our own vileness and unworthiness, whom he hath advanced to these rich and wonderful privileges, seeing we were dust and ashes, corrupt and sinful, strangers, yea enemies unto God: which if it be well weighed, may justly make us cry out with the Psalmist; O Lord, what is 2man, that thou art mindful of him, and the Son of man, that thou visitest him? Especially, if we consider unto what dignity we who were so low are exalted; For if it had been a matchless mercy, for us that were so base, to have been made the meanest of Gods family, even doorkeepers in the House of our God, what incomparable kindness and love is this, to be made his own Sons, and Heirs of his Kingdom? The which mercy is not indefinitely communicated unto all, though all have deserved it as well as we, but to the least part of mankind; and yet such is his goodness towards us, that passing by many great Kings and Monarchs, many rich, noble and wise in the world, he hath vouchsafed to make us of this small number. Not because we deserved such extraordinary favour more then others that want it, but of his mere grace and free good will. O how should our hearts be inflamed with the Love of God, in the sight and sense of such an inestimable benefit?