A20762:229
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 Of the last means of obtaining faith, which is meditation on divers subjects.
§. Sect. 2 Of the last meanes of obtaining faith, which is meditation on diuers subiects.
The last means is often to meditate upon these points following. First, upon Gods everlasting and undeserved love, which moved him, even whilst we were sinners, the children of wrath, the vassals of Satan, and enemies to God and his grace, to send his only begotten, and dearly beloved Son into the world, that taking our nature upon him, he might therein redeem and save us, by satisfying his justice, in paying for us an all-sufficient price for our redemption. And therefore he that sought us when we were lost, will not cast us away when he hath found us. He that so loved us when we were enemies, will not forsake us now, if we seek his favour. He that out of mere love gave Christ to redeem us by his death, will not, when he hath bought us at so dear a price, suffer us to perish, if we apply Christ and his merits by faith, when as a free gift he offereth him unto us. Secondly, let us meditate on Gods infinite mercy, which causeth him to delight, not in death and destruction, but the conversion and salvation of sinners. The which his mercy being above all 1his works, and infinitely greater then all our sins, is freely offered unto us, and we are sure to receive it, if we do not reject it by unbelief. Thirdly, let us meditate on Gods immutable and infallible truth in his promises, and his omnipotent power, whereby he is able to perform them. Fourthly, upon the all-sufficiency of Christs righteousness and obedience, whereby Gods justice is fully satisfied, and his wrath appeased, of which we shall be partakers, if we believe in him as our only Saviour and Redeemer. Fifthly, let us meditate on the Covenant of grace, wherein the Lord promiseth the pardon of our sins, and the salvation of our souls, not upon the condition of our works and worthiness, nor with exception of our sins, but upon the alone condition of a lively faith, which bringeth forth the fruits thereof in unfeigned repentance. Sixthly, let us meditate upon the generality and indefiniteness of Gods promises, which exclude no sorts of sinners, who do not exclude themselves by their unbelief, rejecting Gods pardon when as it is offered, and pulling off the sovereign salve of Christs merits and obedience, so as it cannot cure their sores of sin.