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

Now the special impediments of a godly life are divers and manifold; but the chief and principal which the world useth to tempt us on the right hand, are honours, riches, pleasures, worldly friends and acquaintance, whose society and conversation are notable hindrances to a godly life. And these baits the world fitteth to every mans several humour and disposition; unto the ambitious, it propoundeth honours and the glory of the world; unto the covetous, riches and earthly treasures; unto the voluptuous, pleasures and carnal delights, causing them to bend their whole thoughts, and to spend their whole time in compassing them, so as they have no leisure to think upon, much less to perform the duties of a godly life. Which impediments if we would avoid, we must learn to contemn these earthly vanities, as being vain and worthless, uncertain both in respect of getting and keeping, and unprofitable, yea hurtful and pernicious to all those who set their hearts upon them. All which, with many other to this purpose, I have largely handled in the second part of my Christian Warfare, and therefore do here thus briefly pass them over. Neither is it needful that I should here say much of the society, friendship, and familiarity with the wicked and profane, seeing I have already spoken of it in the former Discourse. Only let us here take notice, that it is one of the chief impediments which the world useth to hinder us in the ways of godliness. For no more apt is the contagious ¹air, which we daily breathe, to poison and infect the body, then the company of ungodly and ungracious men, to taint and infect the soul. And no more possible is it to walk daily among snares and not be caught, or to live amongst the eves and not be robbed, then to preserve our selves from being entangled in the nets and grins of the wicked, and to be spoiled of all Gods graces, if we take delight to consort our selves with such as are graceless and ungodly. So Solomon telleth us, that in the transgression of an evil man, there is a snare, whereby he doth not only more and more entangle himself, but also all others that bear him company. For ⟨p. 759⟩society and familiarity ariseth out of likeness of minds and manners, and cannot long continue, if it do not either find, or at least make this similitude and correspondence, according to that of the Prophet;

Now the speciall impediments of a godly life are diuers and manifold; but the chiefe and principall which the world vseth to tempt vs on the right hand, are honours, riches, pleasures, worldly friends and acquaintance, whose society and conuersation are notable hindrances to a godly life. And these baites the world fitteth to euery mans seuerall humour and disposition; vnto the ambitious, it propoundeth honours and the glory of the world; vnto the couetous, riches and earthly treasures; vnto the voluptuous, pleasures and carnall delights, causing them to bend their whole thoughts, and to spend their whole time in compassing them, so as they haue no leasure to thinke vpon, much lesse to performe the duties of a godly life. Which impediments if we would auoyd, we must learne to contemne these earthly vanities, as being vaine and worthlesse, vncertaine both in respect of getting and keeping, and vnprofitable, yea hurtfull and pernicious to all those who set their hearts vpon them. All which, with many other to this purpose, I haue largely handled in the second part of my Christian Warfare, and therefore doe heere thus briefly passe them ouer. Neither is it needfull that I should heere say much of the society, friendship, and familiarity with the wicked and prophane, seeing I haue already spoken of it in the former Discourse. Onely let vs heere take notice, that it is one of the chiefe impediments which the world vseth to hinder vs in the wayes of godlinesse. For no more apt is the contagious