A20762:2591
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. 5 Of desperation, and that it is a great impediment to godliness.
§. Sect. 5 Of desperation, and that it is a great impediment to godlinesse.
Finally, these scrupulous fears, and carnal sorrow, if they be not removed or moderated, will bring us by degrees, into that fearful gulf of deep despair, whereby we shall cast off all hope of Gods mercy, and reject the all-sufficient merits and satisfaction of Jesus Christ, through our incredulity, as though the multitude and heinousness of our sins, did far exceed them. And this is the very cut-throat of all piety, and the devils strongest and most horrid chain, to enslave men in his service, and to hinder them from entertaining so much as a thought or desire of serving God in the duties of a godly life. For it wholly discourageth a man from proceeding in such a way, as offereth no hope of bringing him to his journeys end. It maketh a servant wholly to neglect his duty, when as he is quite cut off from all expectation of reward. It causeth men to give themselves to all sensuality, voluptuousness, and profaneness, when they have no other hopes, but what this present life offereth unto them; and the rather, that they may hereby put off, for a little while, their terrors of conscience, and griefs of mind; as it were by drinking of cold water in the fit of a fever. And wanting faith, by which we are united unto Christ, in whom a lone we can bring forth fruits of holiness and righteousness, how can we otherwise choose but be utterly barren in all true obedience, and like wild Olive trees, bring forth only fruits of impiety and wickedness? Which impediment if we would remove, we must remember, that the Lord is infinite in grace and mercy, as he describeth himself 1in his Word, so that though our sins be many and grievous, yet they are infinitely exceeded by them, for his mercies are above all his works. 2That he taketh delight in showing mercy toward repentant sinners, seeing hereby he exerciseth his nature, and magnifieth his holy name in the manifestation of his grace and goodness. That he loved us when we were his enemies; yea so loved us, that he sent his only begotten and dearly