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

It is indeed, in respect of flesh and blood, an hard thing, and almost impossible, to live as Lambs among Wolves, and to retain the sweetness of innocency, when like that River which histories speak of, we run through a salt sea of worldly wickedness: but what is impossible to nature, is possible to grace, and much more to the God of all grace and goodness, who hath promised to assist and to establish us in every good work, when once we are thoroughly resolved to undertake it. And this appeareth in the examples of the faithful in all ages, who though they have necessarily lived amongst the wicked, and thereby have bin endangered to all the former tentations and incumbrances, that have not been drawn hereby to follow the times, and to imitate the examples of wicked men, but have continued constant in their holy profession, and religious practice of all the duties of piety and righteousness. Thus Enoch walked with God, and Noah continued in his uprightness, though almost all the world followed their own sinful lusts, and lived in all wickedness and sensuality. So Lot in Sodom, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob amongst the Canaanites, Joseph, David, Nehemiah, Obadiah, Mordecai, Esther and Daniel, retained their sincerity and integrity, though they lived in the wicked and profane courts of Pharaoh, Saul, Artaxerxes, Ahab, Ahasuerus and Nebuchadnezzar. And the Apostle sendeth salvations from the Saints that ¹