A20762:223
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. 7 That the duties of a godly life hold a proportion with our faith, whether it be weak or strong.
§. Sect. 7 That the duties of a godly life hold a proportion with our faith, whether it bee weake or strong.
And these are the degrees of a lively faith, without which, or some one of them, we cannot do any thing pleasing unto God, or set one step forward in the way of godliness: for faith is a cause and an inseparable companion of a godly life, of which, if we be destitute in the least degrees, well may we be ignorantly devout, and zealously superstitious, but we shall never perform any one duty in such sort as God will accept of it. And according to the degree and measure of our faith, such also will be our fruits of godliness, they holding a proportion the one with the other: for as a weak hand may as truly live and move as a stronger, but yet is not so powerful in motion, nor possibly able to do so much work; and as a little tree newly planted, may bring forth good fruit, as well as one that is come to perfect growth, yet cannot do it in equal quantity: So he that hath the weakest faith, liveth an holy life, doth some good works, and bringeth forth some fruits of godliness and righteousness; but his works are not so many, not his fruits in such plenty and abundance, as theirs whose faith is grown to an higher degree. Neither in truth is it possible, that it should be otherwise, seeing weaklings in faith have more to do, and less ability to perform. For the devils policy binds him to use all means to supplant them when as he hath most hope, and to pull up faith by the roots, when it is newly planted; and his malice rageth most against those who have newly escaped out of his bondage, and refuse any longer to be governed by him. The world more vehemently laboureth to hinder the good proceedings of those, who have newly separated from it, as conceiving more hope of their reclaiming; and the corruptions of their own flesh, are much stronger to betray them into the hands of their foreign foes. So that they are in the same case with Nehemiah and his fellows, who must in one hand hold their working instruments, and in the other their weapons, that they may be ready to repel their enemies. And therefore having these and so many other difficulties, with innumerable discouragements to hinder them, and fewer and weaker comforts to hearten them on in their Christian course;