A20762:2405
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. 1 That Satan bendeth all his forces against us, to hinder us in the duties of a godly life.
§. Sect. 1 That Satan bendeth all his forces against vs, to hinder vs in the duties of a godly life.
Having spoken of the duties of a godly life, and of the means whereby we may be enabled to perform them; it now followeth, according to the order which we have propounded in the beginning of this Treatise, that we in the last place set down the impediments, which usually hinder us from entering into this Christian course, and from proceeding, when we have resolved to begin and go forward in it. For as there is nothing excellent & of great moment, wherein we meet not with some mighty opposition and notable hinderances, which, if we be not well armed and prepared, will discourage us from attempting it, or disable us in achieving it: so nothing in the world findeth more lets and discouragements, then our entrance into the course of Christianity, and our progress in the ways of godliness. For whereas all the promises of this life, and the life to come, do infallibly belong unto all those who serve the Lord in the duties of holiness and righteousness (from whence there ariseth an impossibility that they should miscarry, who conscionably perform them, or not attain unto everlasting happiness, who walk constantly in the way that leadeth unto it) hereof it is, that the enemies of our salvation bend all their might and malice, to keep us from entering into this way, or to divert us out of it, if we have already begun to run this race. These enemies are the devil (who is the chief and principal) the world and the flesh, which are his two chief captains that under their conduct lead all his forces. How mighty and dangerous these enemies are, I have ⟨p. 743⟩1