A20762:2242
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 work of redemption should move us to serve our Redeemer in all duties of a godly life.
§. Sect. 2 That the work of redemption should mooue vs to serue our Redeemer in all duties of a godly life.
Again, as Christ our Saviour given unto us by God his Father; so also the great work of Redemption wrought by him, may serve as a most powerful argument to move us unto the diligent performance of all the duties which belong to a godly life: For though the work of our Creation and preservation are inestimable benefits, yet, this much exceedeth them, being far above all humane conceit, and so unspeakable, that it can never be sufficiently expressed and magnified by the tongue of men and Angels. Yet let us take, as we are able, some slender view of it; and with ravishing wonder, admire and adore the rest which we are not able to comprehend. And consider first, what we were who were thus redeemed, 1to wit, mortal men, dust and ashes, weak, and of no strength, strangers, sinners, yea, enemies unto God and our own salvation. Secondly, from what we were redeemed, namely, out of the greatest and most desperate misery which could possibly be incident unto any creature. For Christ hath delivered us from the wrath of God, the curse of the Law, and all the fearful plagues therein threatened, temporal and eternal, from the miserable bondage and captivity of sin and Satan, from death, hell, and everlasting condemnation both of body and soul; and that when we were so desperately and unrecoverably plunged into these fearful miseries, that we were utterly unable to help our selves, yea, when all the power of men and Angels was altogether unsufficient to do us any good. Thirdly, consider who redeemed such poor sinful wretches out of this woeful plight, even the glorious Son of God, equal to his Father in power and Majesty; he vouchsafed to pity us in our misery, and to take upon him our deliverance. Fourthly, consider the means which he used to effect this great work of our Redemption, namely, by humbling himself, in taking upon him our nature, and uniting it in a substantial and inseparable union unto his Divine nature, that so he might in our stead, do and suffer whatsoever was necessary for our salvation. Fifthly, consider the manner of effecting this great work, or the means which he used, that he might redeem us;