A20762:2299
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.
The which also may be a second motive to persuade us unto a godly life, in that being thereby in the greatest part freed from our sins in respect 1of their corruption and sinful acts, and wholly in assurance of faith from the guilt of them, by virtue of Christs death and obedience applied unto us, we do also hereby escape the punishments which are due unto them. Of both which the saying of Solomon is verified; The fear of the Lord tendeth to life, and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil; to wit, either of sin and punishment. And again, The 2fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to make us depart from the snares of death. For first, the faithful which walk in the ways of holiness and righteousness, are wholly freed by the death and sufferings of Christ, from all punishments properly so called, which are inflicted to satisfy Gods Justice, seeing Christ hath made full satisfaction for all their sins; and therefore as it would not stand with the Justice of God, to let them go unpunished, so neither that they should be twice punished, once in our surety, and the second time in our selves, as I have proved at large in another place. 3Whereas those who make no conscience of their ways, and neglect the ⟨p. 706⟩duties of a godly life, being out of Christ, do bear the punishment of their sins themselves, both in this world and the world to come. Secondly, by leading of a godly life, they also escape many temporary 4judgements, and sharp afflictions, whereby God, like a gracious and wise Father, doth correct his children, when they neglect their duty, and sin against him, which differ nothing from the punishments that are in this life inflicted upon the wicked, in their matter, and oftentimes very little in the quantity and sharpness of the stripes, but only in the causes from which they proceed, which is the love of a gracious Father towards the one, and the anger of a just and severe Judge towards the other, & also their divers ends; the chastisements of the Faithful, being intended for their good and amendment, that they may not, being judged, be condemned with the world, but