A20762:2413
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 Satan's might & malice compared with our weakness and simplicity, must not discourage us, and the reasons hereof.
§. Sect. 3 That Satans might & malice compared with our weakenesse and simplicity, must not discourage vs, and the reasons hereof.
Neither let Satan's power consisting in his might and strength, and in his craft and policy, compared with our weakness and simplicity, discourage us from serving God in the duties of holiness and righteousness. But when we have set our faces towards the heavenly Canaan, and are travailing unto it in the ways of godliness, though we see mountainous difficulties, impossible in respect of our own strength to be overpassed, on either hand, a sea of troubles and dangers before us, and an huge host of spiritual enemies armed at all points with hellish tentations, pursuing us at our backs; let us go on in our course without dread, seeing those which are on our side are more, and more mighty, then those which are against us. And first, when we see our own wants and weaknesses opposed with such malicious might and hellish fury, let not this dismay us, seeing it is a great part of our strength to see our weakness, and we are best armed, when we see, acknowledge and bewail our own nakedness. For this will make us more careful to provide and put on the spiritual Armour, especially the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit, whereby we shall be enabled to quench the fiery darts of the wicked one, and to stand fast and 1firm against all his tentations in the evil day, wherewith if we be thoroughly armed, we can never be foiled. Or if through our frailties and infirmities, we find herein many wants and imperfections, this must not discourage us, seeing our armour hath not so much sufficiency to defend us in its own strength, as from the Author that made it, and gave it for our use, who being Almighty, to make good his own work, and to be of high proof against all tentations, will never suffer those to be vanquished, who are of his arming, but will manifest his power in their infirmities, and glorify himself in their victory. Again, the sight and sense of our weakness, and our enemies power, must not so dismay us, as that we should desist in our course, but drive us unto the God of our strength, crying with Moses unto him for help and deliverance, when we are pursued by our spiritual enemies.