A20762:2246
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 That by the Covenant of Grace we are strongly bound unto all Christian duties of a godly life.
§. Sect. 3 That by the Couenant of Grace we are strongly bound vnto all Christian duties of a godly life.
The fifth benefit, is the Covenant of Grace, which God hath made with us in Jesus Christ; for being redeemed by his full satisfaction, death, & obedience, the Lord hath made a new Covenant with us, not like that under the Law, the condition whereof, was perfect obedience, the which being impossible unto us, by reason of our imperfections and corruptions, the promise was made void and unprofitable; seeing this new Covenant is not grounded upon our works and worthiness, but upon the free mercies of God, and the all-sufficient merits of Jesus Christ. In which, the Lord promiseth for his part, that he will be our gracious God and loving Father, that he will pardon and forgive us all our sins, and give unto us all good things spiritual and temporal in this life, and glory and happiness in the life to come. And we for our part promise unto God again, that he shall be our God, and we his people, and that we will receive and embrace all his blessings promised, by a true and lively faith, and especially, Jesus Christ and all his benefits, and wholly rest upon him, for our justification and salvation, that he may be all in all, and have the whole glory of his own gracious and free gifts. And because a dead and fruitless faith cannot do this, therefore by a necessary consequence we promise, that we will approve our faith to be lively and effectual for these uses, by bringing forth the fruits thereof in unfeigned and hearty repentance and amendment of life. Now whereas we covenant that he shall be our God, and we will be his people, we do not promise that we will make a bare profession of these things in word only, but that in deed and truth we ⟨p. 690⟩will have him to be our God, in our hearts by desiring and endeavouring to cleave unto him alone, loving, fearing, hoping, and trusting in him and no other, and that in our lives and actions we will labour to glorify him, by living as it becometh his people, and bringing forth the fruits of holiness and righteousness, in the whole course of our conversation. The which Covenant strongly bindeth us to these duties; seeing as it is on Gods part most unchangeable, being effectually ratified and confirmed by the blood of Christ, by Gods own hand-writing in his Word and Gospel, whereunto he hath annexed his seals and Sacraments; yea, by his solemn Oath, wherein it is impossible that God should lye;