A20762:2712
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. 2 That poverty hindereth not Gods graces in us, but rather furthereth them.
§. Sect. 2 That pouerty hindreth not Gods graces in vs, but rather furthereth them.
Thirdly, poverty doth not hinder any of Gods graces in us: Yea, through Gods blessing, doth much further and increase them; as meekness, humility, patience, temperance, sobriety, watchfulness in prayer. Yea, it doth not make us less fit for any, either in respect of the graces themselves or the practice and exercise of them; for saving graces are not bought for money, nor lost for want of coin to purchase them, but are the gifts of God, which he giveth freely without respect of persons, to poor and rich, if they hunger and thirst after them; according to that gracious call: Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and 1eat, yea come buy wine and milk without money, and without price. So our Saviour Christ; If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink; 2he that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water; that is, the saving graces of his sanctifying Spirit, as he expoundeth it in the words following. Neither doth poverty hinder the Spiritual exercise of any grace in our outward practice, no, not Christian bounty and beneficence, which God measureth not by the greatness of the gift; but the obedience and liberality of the giver; For if a man hath a willing mind, he is accepted 3according to that which he hath, and not according to that which he hath not, as in this particular case the Apostle speaketh. The which our Saviour evidently showeth in the example of the poor, yet liberal widow, whose two mites being all her wealth, was esteemed the greatest gift that was cast into the Treasury. Much less doth poverty hinder us in the duties of Gods service, which seeing they are to be performed, not with outward pomp, but in Spirit and Truth, need not the help of money and riches to further