A20762:2642
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 God the Son joining with us, taketh away all difficulty.
§. Sect. 3 That God the Sonne ioyning with vs, taketh away all difficulty.
Secondly, God the Son joining with us in the duties of a godly life, will take away all difficulty, and enable us to perform them with all cheerfulness and delight. For being united unto him by a true and a lively faith, and ingrafted into this blessed & fruitful Vine, as living branches, we shall receive such spiritual life and sap of grace from him, that we shall bring forth the ripe grapes and pleasant fruits of holiness and righteousness. Being knit unto him in this blessed union, and becoming lively members of his body, we shall have communion with him, and receive such virtue and vigour, as shall be effectual, not only for our justification, but also for our sanctification. From his death 1we shall receive virtue & strength for the mortifying of the flesh and the sinful lusts thereof, so as it shall no longer reign and rule in us as in former times, and from his Resurrection such a quickening power, as will enable us to rise out of the grave of sin, and to walk in the ways of holiness and righteousness, bringing forth the plentiful fruits of new and true obedience. Besides, our Saviour, who exhorteth us to take his yoke upon us, offereth himself to join with us, and to be our yoke-fellow; and as the taller and stronger Ox, drawing together with one that is less and weaker, easeth him of the chiefest part of the burden; so our Saviour so far exceeding us in greatness and strength, doth free us from all irksomeness and cumbersome tediousness of that burden which he layeth upon us, by bearing it up upon his own blessed neck and shoulders. Neither doth he call us unto him to trouble and vex us, but to ease and comfort us. Not to oppress us with a burden above our strength, but to lighten us of the intolerable load of sin, by taking it upon himself, in stead whereof, he layeth upon us his sweet and easy yoke of Evangelical obedience; according to that his gracious call and invitation, Come unto me, all ye 2