A20762:2495
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 our Saviour hath foretold these persecutions.
§. Sect. 3 That our Sauiour hath foretold these persecutions.
Secondly, let us consider that our Saviour Christ hath long ago foretold, that whosoever will be his Disciples, must suffer in this world troubles and persecutions, and that those who will attain unto heavenly happiness, must travail unto it by that afflicted way which himself and all his servants have gone before them. If any man (saith he) will come after me, 1let him deny himself, and take up his Cross daily and follow me. For whosoever 2will save his life, shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall save it. Now what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? So the Apostles first offered the Cross unto them, who 3would afterwards wear the Crown, and have told us before-hand, that by many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of God. And that whosoever 4will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution. And therefore our Saviour Christ seriously adviseth us, that before we take upon us the profession of Christianity, we first sit down and cast up our accounts, examining our selves, whether we can be content to suffer with him, that we may afterwards reign with him; and to endure afflictions and persecutions in this world, that we may eternally triumph with him in glory and happiness in the world to come. Now what more fair dealing could be used, then to tell us before-hand what we must trust to, and before he entertain us into his service, to acquaint us thoroughly with our work which he requireth of us, before we can receive our wages which we expect from him? If indeed he had allured us to serve him, by promising that we should enjoy pleasures, riches, and honours in the world, and that for his sake we should be well accepted and favoured of all men, we should have had great cause of discouragement, when we should come so far short of our hopes, and find nothing in the world but crosses and afflictions, pains for pleasures, poverty for riches, and for glory, shame and disgrace; for then seeing his promises fail in things that concern this life, we had cause to doubt of those that respect the life to come.